The last 48 hours have made something painfully clear to me: we are still far too comfortable talking about mental health after somebody dies, and far too uncomfortable doing what is necessary while they are still here.

I don’t want this conversation to be about uniforms or job titles. These were people. People with families, friends, coworkers, communities, plans for next week, and lives far beyond whatever they did for work. Suicide does not become more or less worthy of our attention depending on someone’s profession.

Thoughts, condolences and prayers are not a suicide prevention strategy. A statement after somebody dies is not prevention. If we mean it when we say mental health matters, that belief has to exist before somebody reaches a crisis.

That means timely, confidential care. Properly funded wellness programs. Peer support that exists when people need it. Meaningful support after traumatic events. Psychologically safe workplaces. Managers who understand mental-health injuries, and systems where asking for help does not make someone fear for their livelihood.

Privacy matters. Families deserve privacy. But privacy cannot become an excuse for institutions to whisper about suicide as though acknowledging it is shameful. Silence can reinforce the stigma we claim to be dismantling.

Suicide is preventable. That does not mean any individual death can be reduced to one person, one event or one failure. It means the next death is not inevitable. Prevention is something we build collectively, long before condolences are written.

To everyone carrying the shock of a suicide loss right now: grieve. Keep checking on one another after the first few days pass. Check again next week, and next month.

To the families: I am so deeply sorry.

And to every organization that says it cares about mental health, including the Police Association of Ontario: this is where those words have to become action. Not after the next death. Now.

If you are thinking about suicide, or worried about someone who is, call or text 988 in Canada.

We do not have to wait for another 48 hours.

#HamOnt #HamiltonOntario #CityofHamilton #CDNPoli #ONPoli

Photo: Elena Merkulova/iStockphoto