Help Available For Officers When Job Takes A Toll

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – When tragedy strikes in our community, we’re often quick to offer help to the victims and their friends and family. Often, however, it’s easy to overlook the police officers who work tirelessly to keep the community safe and have exposure to terrible things.

It’s pretty much been nonstop for the last week, as hundreds of law enforcement officers chased leads in the search for University of Utah student Mackenzie Lueck.

Officers from multiple agencies involved in the search just weren’t giving up on solving the case, hoping to find her safe.

“Time was of the essence,” said Detective Greg Wilking with the Salt Lake City Police Department. “Pushing hard. A lot of days, a lot of hours.”

Even though Friday morning’s arrest of the person they believe killed her kind of puts this phase of the investigation to a close, for detectives, it’s not really closure.

“This is hard to do that because even though you put the bad guy in jail, there’s the fact that this case didn’t start good,” said Det. Wilking as his voice trailed off.

Murder cases have a way of staying with investigators long after the cases are solved.

“That’s tough, and people… it shakes them,” said Det. Wilking.

No matter how tough and strong officers might appear on the outside, Detective Wilking is proof they’re human.

“Sorry. When I agreed to do this, I didn’t think this would get to me,” he said

You could see the toll of it all on his face.

That’s where people like Dr. Brian Partridge come in.

“It’s very isolating. If you have to believe that I can’t show emotion, I can’t personalize this, I can’t think, ‘well my daughter is this age or my niece is this age,’ it’s hard to compartmentalize all that,” said Dr. Partridge.

Partridge is a psychologist who specializes in helping public safety officers mentally deal with the pressures of their job by talking about it.

“Talking in a safe place with a safe person helps,” he said. “That’s the art of psychology – engaging people who want to talk but are really reluctant to because how they’ll see themselves, how they’re afraid their colleagues will see them – as you’re weak or you’re unreliable, or I can’t trust you, which again is that historical stigma.”

It’s that stigma, though, that can cause an officer to lose hope.

In 2018, 159 law enforcement officers died by suicide.

It was the third straight year police suicides outnumbered line of duty deaths, according to the organization Blue HELP.

“It’s tragic, and it’s because we do deal with a lot out there,” said Shante Johnson.

Johnson, with Utah’s Fraternal Order of Police, said mental health is as important as officer training to remind officers there is good in the world.

“You be with your family. You do that and you spend the time with those people,” said Det. Wilking.

He’s looking forward to the weekend where he, and all the detectives involved in this case, can hopefully shut off for a little while.

“Taking my kids out on vacation,” he said. “Going to hold them tight.”

Officers who need help can contact Blue HELP at bluehelp.org.