The Mississippi Department of Public Safety is urging people to check in on law enforcement officers, first responders and others during Suicide Prevention Month, emphasizing that mental health struggles can affect anyone, including people who dedicate their lives to protecting others.
The department said officers and first responders face difficult situations every day and need support. It encouraged people to ask friends, co-workers or fellow officers how they are doing and said asking for help is a sign of strength.
Anyone who needs support, or knows someone who does, can call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Jon Ross Myers founded Mississippi News Group in 2013. Before founding the organization, he worked at The Daily Mississippian, The Marion Salute and The Southern Sentinel. A Mississippi journalist and writer based in Ripley, he received second place in poetry in the 2025 William Faulkner Literary Competition for "The Garden."
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