Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling or having thoughts of suicide, you are not alone — and help is always available. Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to connect with a trained counselor, or chat online at 988lifeline.org. Whether you’re seeking support for yourself or someone you care about, please know that it’s never too late to reach out. You deserve help. You deserve hope. Someone is ready to listen.
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Law enforcement suicide remains one of the most difficult and urgent challenges facing the profession — a crisis that affects officers, families and agencies alike. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley sits down with researchers Dr. Kathleen Padilla and Jessica Dockstader to discuss their study, “Bearing the Badge, Battling Inner Struggles: Understanding Suicidal Ideation in Law Enforcement.”
Their research explores how factors like organizational stress, access to mental health resources, and even relationship status influence officer wellness. In this conversation, they share what one in four officers’ reports of suicidal ideation tell us about policing today — and how changing culture, communication and leadership can turn awareness into prevention.
About our guests
Dr. Kathleen Padilla is an assistant professor in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Texas State University. Her research focuses on officer wellness, organizational stress, and mental health in policing, with a particular emphasis on how workplace culture influences access to support and help-seeking behaviors. A member of a law enforcement family, Dr. Padilla brings both professional and personal insight to her work, studying the factors that contribute to stress, burnout, and suicidal ideation among officers. Her recent projects examine how agency leadership, policy, and training can foster healthier, more resilient police organizations. Connect with Dr. Padilla on LinkedIn.
Jessica Dockstader is a research analyst with CNA’s Center for Justice Research and Innovation, where she specializes in law enforcement wellness, organizational culture and evidence-based reform. Her work bridges research and practice, helping agencies translate data into actionable strategies that improve officer health and performance. She is currently leading a National Institute of Justice–funded study on the impact of station dogs on officer well-being. Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn.
About our sponsor
This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by OfficerStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting OfficerStore.com.
Tune in to hear
- What new data reveals about the scope of suicidal ideation in policing
- The warning signs leaders, peers and families should watch for
- How culture, stigma and organizational stress factor into risk
- Why procedural justice inside an agency can protect officer mental health
- The concrete steps every rank can take to build a safer, more supportive culture
Key takeaways from this episode
Prevalence and parity across roles: About 25% of law enforcement personnel in the sample reported suicidal ideation — higher than general population estimates — and rates did not differ meaningfully between sworn and civilian staff.
Support systems matter: Never having been married emerged as a positive predictor of ideation, underscoring the protective value of strong personal and peer support networks.
Culture and leadership shape help-seeking: Procedural justice from leaders — respect, voice and fair decision-making — increases trust and willingness to use services. How agencies frame services (proactive education versus punitive “mental health” referrals) affects uptake.
Risk factors are both acute and chronic: Sleep deprivation, firearm access, cumulative exposure to trauma and day-to-day organizational stress all add load; dispatchers, records and redaction staff also absorb trauma and need inclusion in wellness responses.
Act at every rank, across the career: Peers can notice baseline changes and listen; supervisors should be trained to recognize healthy versus unhealthy coping over 30, 60, 90 days after critical events. Normalize wellness from academy to retirement and close the gap where those with the worst health are least likely to use programs.
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