Law enforcement crisis hotline overwhelmed after string of police shootings - KING5.com

Code 4 Northwest is free, confidential and available 24/7 for first responders.

SEATTLE — Code 4 Northwest, a crisis hotline for first responders, is seeing an uptick in calls as law enforcement in Western Washington grieve the loss of two of their own.

"We're seeing people reach out department wide. Dispatch units, other departments because situations like this, not one, not two officers shot but three, two dead in two weeks, it has implications for all law enforcement because we all feel like targets now," said Nick Bauer, the operations director for Code 4 Northwest.

Bauer said across the profession there's increased anxiety and depression among officers and their families. He said the recent deaths of Pierce County Deputy Dom Calata and Everett Police Officer Dan Rocha are taking a toll.

"The key word I keep seeing and hearing is enough. Enough is enough. When are we going to stop being the pariahs of society?" said Bauer.

Since 2020, the call line has seen a significant increase in traffic. Bauer said prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, people would talk on the hotline roughly 500 minutes per month. The organization has since seen a five-times increase, averaging 2,500 minutes a month.

"The frequency of calls has gone through the roof. The severity of calls has gone through the roof. An interesting statistic, or I guess reality, is spouses and children of first responders have surfaced with some fairly major issues" said Bauer.

Bauer has 30 years of his own experience with law enforcement as a sergeant with Seattle Police. He said on Friday he was offering counseling support at Deputy Dom Calata's funeral when he heard the news Officer Dan Rocha had been shot and killed.

"It was a palpable change. You could literally feel this heaviness in the air," said Bauer, "My biggest fear through all of these situations is officers start to lose hope."

Code 4 Northwest is free, confidential and available 24/7. The hotline's number is 425-243-5092. It can help with referrals for drug and alcohol treatment, post-traumatic stress disorder resources and general counseling. Bauer encourages members of law enforcement and their families to reach out.

source: https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/crisis-hotline-for-first-responders-busy-as-law-enforcement-mourns-recent-losses/281-309ceb22-d392-4a00-8296-8d3a3fd08fd5

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