Dealing with suicide through a constable’s eyes

While the majority of us can have a good nights sleep in the slumber of our bed, there are some people whose nights are interrupted with the chilling sound of the telephone ring.
The frontline workers responding to the discovery of yet another lifeless body has their work cut out for them.
Eric Cheechoo, a member of Moose Cree First Nation, is a detective constable with the Cochrane office of Nishnawbe Aski Police Service.
“We jump when the phone rings. The chief said he jumps when he hears the phone ring at night. We are the same way.”
Cheechoo is a 31-year veteran of the police force. For 17 years he worked out of his home community. He explained that a suicide investigation falls under the Coroners Act.
“It is an in depth investigation because of policies under the Coroners Act. It is not usually called a suicide. It is referred to as sudden death.”
The term ‘suicide’ is a more community driven term, he adds.
When he conducts an investigation, it involves photographs, interviewing of people and going to Sudbury for the autopsy.
“We are the first ones there and the last ones to leave (the scene of a suicide).”
The constables are often asking the question of ‘why a person would take their life’ during the course of their investigation. The reason is difficult to find.
“That answer will come from our youth. We know what they are going through. We need to pay attention to what they say.
We don’t listen very well to them,” Cheechoo said.
There are healing measures in place for constables to handle the difficult work they encounter.
“A group of us come down and we look after each other. We talk it out. We have families we can talk too. It is extremely difficult. There are some things you get emotionally attached too. We keep our heads up. We support each other. We speak to other frontline workers.”
Cheechoo came to the emergency summit in Moose Factory with mixed emotions.
“I am happy that we are talking about it and sad that we have to talk about it.”
But he’s happy that people came together to try and work on the issue.
“I think we got to where we are today just by saying we have got to do something. It will also give the youth the impression that we are trying. The youth, too, will pay attention that there are people that care about this,” he said.
Lately, Cheechoo credits the use of the Internet with helping the frontline workers to find the youth who are crying out for help.
“We have been picking up stuff online, we have started to see youth cry out online, tell their friends online.” He hopes it will continue so youth can be helped in time. He also said a lot of calls have come from youth alerting a possible situation about another youth. Cheechoo encourages youth and anyone in crisis to reach out for help.
“We got to let the youth and others in desperate need of help know that they can call someone. If they call the wrong person, that person is going to call someone that can help them.”