Three Long Island cops committed suicide already this year, as Nassau PBA sounds the alarm
The sad blue line.
Six cops in New York state have already committed suicide this year, with half of them coming out of Long Island.
The LI tragedies all occurred in Nassau County in just the first quarter of 2025, according to Nassau PBA President Tommy Shevlin.
“The numbers are alarming, which is why our mental health should be a priority,” Shevlin said.
The deaths make up 50% of all cops who reportedly committed suicide in the state this year, according to Blue H.E.L.P., a nonprofit that tracks law enforcement suicides across the US.
“We are in the midst of a quiet crisis,” Suffolk PBA President Lou Civello told The Post. In Suffolk County, four officers took their own lives last year — none have been reported in 2025 so far.
Since 2019, Shevlin has been fighting to pass the Lt. Joseph Banish Mental Health Act — proposed state legislation named after a state trooper cop who killed himself — that would establish a peer-to-peer mental health support program for police officers.
New York also continues to lead the US in first responder suicides, according to Blue H.EL.P. Thirteen cops across the Empire State took their own lives last year, according to reports.
The legislation, if passed, would create a confidential network of trained officers to help their peers deal with the intense trauma, stress and grief caused by the life-or-death line of work.
“This legislation is not just necessary — it’s long overdue,” Civello told The Post.
Shevlin said it wouldn’t “immediately stop all of the suicides, but it would be a huge first step.”
“This is a huge problem,” he added.
Tons of officers struggle in silence, Shevlin explained, fearing the stigma or even career consequences for speaking out about their mental health — something he hopes the statewide legislation would begin to dismantle.
The bill, backed by several state lawmakers from Long Island, has made it out of the Senate but remains gridlocked in the Assembly.
“We’re trying to get it pushed through right after the budget is done,” Shevlin told The Post.
And momentum may finally be moving in their direction.
Shevlin, who has had meetings with Gov. Kathy Hochul about the bill, said she seems to be on board.
Hochul’s office declined to comment.
Last year, the governor allocated $13 million to provide mental help support to cops across the state, and touted Shevlin’s work as one of the driving forces.
“The suicide rate among law enforcement is 60% higher than the average population,” Hochul wrote on X at the time. “My budget invests $13 million to provide mental help support to our officers and give them the helping hand they need.
“No one should have to suffer in silence.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for free and confidential crisis counseling.
