Help available for those contemplating suicide
Inhale. Exhale. Let’s do it again. A reflexive exercise is well worth the price of existence.
Things are tough in our dog-eat-dog world. Our bothersome burdens will hold you down if you let them. What’s going on? A police column or Dear Abby?
I share this emotional thought because it affects all of us. With our lickety-split lifestyle, many of us don’t even stop to realize the preciousness of life.
We arrive at the door and knock. No answer. We try to look through the window, but are obscured by the blinds; we are offered no insight. However, we do see several insects around the porthole. We then realize the unmistakable odor associated with decay. The door lock gets picked and we make entry into the domicile. The deceased subject hadn’t perished from natural causes. The self-inflicted death sentence came in a moment of despair. No note or explanation. No signs of foul play. No, this is the finality of suicide.
The Centers for Disease Control reported 39,518 suicide deaths in 2011 (most recent data). The compiled causes or correlations are numerous. In America it is the 10th leading cause of death, one every 13.3 minutes.
Why discuss such tragedy? Because if you know anyone who needs help, a hand, someone to talk with, let’s get them talking. There’s no obstacle too big or problem so severe that life can’t handle. I know tough issues and thank goodness for the beauty of a new day and the love of a community.
“Control, 269. I’ll be10-8.”
June 15. An officer makes contact with a subject near Jack in the Box. The Boulder City guest is experiencing the regret stage of intoxication. At a .257 blood-alcohol content, the subject isn’t doing great. Since incarceration isn’t an immediate option, the subject is cited and released to the care of family at one of the local motels.
June 16. A subject walks into the lobby of the police department. After learning he had a warrant in Henderson, he came to our lobby to turn himself in. What? Why would you come to Boulder City Police Department? Apparently, the wanted subject needed a ride to Henderson Detention Center. No problem; we took them directly to jail, and didn’t pass go.
June 17. A female calls regarding being assaulted by her husband’s friend. The friend punched her. We find out the suspect is headed to the marina at the lake. National Park Service was able to make contact with the suspect. We head to the marina and take the subject into custody. Remember, you can’t go punching people without consequences.
June 19. The problem solving unit is looking for a specific vehicle that is allegedly delivering transgression filled packages. The suspect car is spotted coming out of 1501 Nevada Highway. The unmarked unit makes the stop for driving on a suspended registration. During a search incident to arrest, methamphetamine is located in the subject’s backpack. The get-rich-quick and consequences-free schemes hardly work, especially when it comes to illegal narcotics.
June 20. A subject reports coming to check on a family member who hadn’t been heard from in several days. We arrive in the area of New Mexico Street and knock on the door. No answer. We conduct a welfare check by gaining entry into the home. We locate the deceased family member. The Clark County coroner’s office arrives to conduct a death investigation.
June 21. A homeowner driving home from a Texas vacation calls to report a burglary in progress at home. We arrive in the area across from the hospital, but find no one at the house. Come to find out, the house sitter is a known and admitted drug user. The problem is the house sitter was arrested a day earlier, but apparently the house sitter’s friends made themselves at home. Report filed.
Another busy week. Please don’t forget the dry lake bed will be closed for the Fourth of July and remember no water balloons during the parade. Stay cool, Boulder City.
Officer Jeffrey Grasso is a 10-year veteran of the Boulder City Police Department. He previously served as a police officer in south Florida for four years.
