A New York City police officer has died in the department's fourth suspected suicide this month amid what the NYPD commissioner has described as "a mental health crisis."
Kevin Preiss, 53, was a 24-year veteran of the force assigned to the 50th Precinct in the Bronx. He was married with children, NBC New York reported.
He died at his home in Nassau County on Long Island, a department spokeswoman told NBC News on Thursday.
Earlier this month, two longtime officers died in suspected suicides within 24 hours of each other.
On June 5, Deputy Chief Steven Silks, 62, was found dead in a police vehicle in Queens. Silks was days away from retirement. Detective Joseph Calabrese, 58, was found the next day at Brooklyn's Plum Beach. Both had been with the department for more than 35 years.
Then on June 14, Commissioner James O’Neill announced that a 29-year-old officer died outside a New York City Police Department precinct stationhouse on Staten Island.
O'Neill issued a statement that day in which he appealed to members of the nation's largest police force to seek help for mental health issues and if they were contemplating self-harm.
"There is no shame in seeking assistance from the many resources available, both inside and outside the department,” O'Neill said. “Accepting help is never a sign of weakness — in fact, it’s a sign of great strength."
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
