Page 26 - October 2018 FOP Magazine

We can ACT now
to help prevent suicide
I was sitting at 26th Street & California Avenue, waiting to testify before the grand jury, when
I received the awful news that a fellow po-
lice officer had committed suicide. A short
time later, our superintendent sent a letter
to all of us to express his sympathy; he also
wrote about the Employee Assistance Pro-
gram (EAP).
EAP is part of the professional counseling division and runs the peer support group. These officers mean well and care about their fellow officers, but un- fortunately, our suicide rate in the Chicago Police Department is the highest in the nation. As I’ve written in the past, the lead- ership in addressing suicide in the CPD has been lackluster at best. The letter the superintendent sent to our fraternal broth- ers and sisters is not leadership. Therefore, we need to “ACT” to
take care of each other.
The acronym “ACT” is from the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline, and I want to share its meaning with you. Acknowledge: Take it seriously and listen. If you notice warn- ing signs or hear something that sounds troubling, recognizing
that something is wrong is the first step.
Care: Take the initiative and show and/or voice your concern.
When someone is suffering, it can be difficult for them to re- member that there are people who care. Showing your support
will make a difference for someone who is truly struggling. Treatment: Get professional help immediately. The best way to care for someone is to get them to an evaluation and begin the treatment process. Support from friends and family is not enough for someone who is struggling. y You can be the important link that someone needs to
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get connected to treatment.
My goal, and hopefully yours, is for our brothers and
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sisters to get help when they are depressed — before sui- cide becomes their only option. If you have any ideas about how we can prevent suicide, please send me an email. My goal is for all of us to achieve our dream of retirement.
Bad information from human resources
I’ve received numerous calls from officers contemplating joining the Reserves or National Guard. In one case, a civilian in human resources told an officer that if he joined the guard, he could not keep his CPD job. The civilian also commented that the officer should have joined the military prior to becoming a CPD officer. Clearly, this person was wrong!
In fact, the Military Leave of Absence Form (CPD-11.840) contains a box that can be selected for basic training. Bottom line: The decision to join the Reserves or Guard is up to the indi- vidual officer. Therefore, if an officer decides to serve our coun- try and has an understanding of the commitment required, I say go for it.
Now that we’ve established that the human resources divi- sion often provides inaccurate information and is prone to mis- takes...an officer who returns from a military leave of absence of longer than 30 days needs to report to the human resources office after his date of service ends on the DD214 (Record of Discharge). By doing so, the officer will receive his CPD pay im- mediately. If the date on the DD214 is on a weekend, I suggest that the officer report on Friday so that he or she receives pay for the weekend. Please contact me if you have any questions, need help or received bad information from human resources.
Celebrating and remembering those who served
On a lighter note, I received several emails about my failure to mention the U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) 71st birthday. On Sept. 18, 1947, Chief Justice Fred Vinson swore in Stuart Symington as the first Air Force Secretary, officially founding a new branch of the U.S. military. General Carl A. Spaatz became the USAF’s first Chief of Staff eight days later, on Sept. 26, 1947. The final trans- fer order was signed on June 22, 1949. Happy birthday, USAF!
Lastly, Veterans Day is Nov. 11. It takes courage for a soldier to risk life and limb for his or her country. The least we all can do is honor these heroes. On this day, I’ll say thank you to all those who have served our nation.
The following is a quote from Father Dennis Edward O’Brian, U.S. Marine Corps: “It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.” d
If you have a question or comment, please send me an email at LTC_Cruz@wowway.com.
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JERRY CRUZ
26 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ OCTOBER 2018