Wilkinsburg police raising awareness after uptick in suicides

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and the Wilkinsburg Police Department is trying to raise awareness after seeing an uptick in suicides. 

Wilkinsburg police are hoping to reach families and let them know that resources and people are available to help and that they should never have to struggle alone.

"I just want everybody to know that everybody goes through stress, everybody grieves in different ways," said Wilkinsburg Police Chief Christopher Duncan.

Duncan says that stress can come from anywhere and at any point. With a recent uptick in suicide incidents, he says they can stem from many things — a breakup, losing a job, a mental health diagnosis or simply feeling overwhelmed. He encourages people to try to keep others in mind and reach out to them. Often those who are struggling may not necessarily say so.

"It's easy to mistake somebody's stress and what they're going through as a complaint and not all of those are complaints. Some of those are cries for help," said Duncan. "Sometimes the biggest thing is just listening to what they're saying and then offering your services."

But there are signs that someone may not be doing well mentally.

"If a person is going through various mood changes, like one minute they're happy, the next minute they're sad, the next minute they're just like bleh, they have no life in them whatsoever, that right there should be a sign," said Wilkinsburg Police Sgt. Preston Peterson.

Both Peterson and Duncan encourage people to reach out for help and for others to look after their friends, family and neighbors, especially after a recent uptick.

For those in Allegheny County, there are local help resources available to people, including Resolve Crisis, which can help in several ways. You can also reach out to the Wilkinsburg Police Department, which has trained officers and a social worker. Other departments across the county also provide resources and help. 

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.

For more information about mental health care resources and support, the National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.