Denver public safety worker suicide rate far exceeds average

DENVER - Seven employees of Denver's public safety agencies have taken their own lives over the last two years for a suicide rate several times the national average.

The seven included two members of the Denver Police Department, three staff members of the Denver Sheriff Department, one Fire Department employee and one 911 dispatcher.

Over 4,000 people work in the public safety department. The national average of suicide deaths is 14 annually per 100,000 people, meaning the department's suicide rate is almost six times the national average.

Denver Public Safety Officer Troy Riggs says the department has a wide range of wellness programs yet each death prompts a new round of questions and doubt in the department.

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