✦A totalof 4369attempted/threatened
suicideeventsin Canterburywere
reportedin 2018 – up59%from2015.
✦Nationally,policeattended23,423
events– up43%from2015.
✦IntheCanterburyregion, 87 people
diedbysuicideinthe2017/18year,
upfrom 79 thepreviousyear.
✦Canterbury’s suicideratewas
15.46deaths per100,000people –
higherthan the national average
of 13.67.WHERETOGETHELPP
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freetext 234
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SuicideCrisisHelpline:
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aways thatpeopledropinto
conversations.
“We’ll tryandhelpthem
thinkrationallyabouttheir
situation,letthemknow
thereis hope, thatthereare
things, people,eventsout
therefortheminthefuture.”
Leairne’stoughestcase
wasthatofasuicidal
womanwhoseyoungbaby
had diedsuddenly.“Shewas
findingit reallytough to
deal withandhadlimited
supportaroundher,”she
says. “Shedidn’tknowwhat
elsetodo.Sheblamed
herselffornotwatchingthe
child– a naturalresponsein
asituation likethat.”
SergeantRichardCarolan
has beenpartofthe
Canterburynegotiations
teamforalmostaslongas
his boss.Heemphasisesthe
closetiestheyhavewith
otherfirstrespondersand
mentalhealthservices.
“Wedon’tjustwalkaway
fromthesesituations,”he
says.“Yo u’ll oftenfindone
ofourteamwill beatthe
hospitalwiththeperson
forquitesometimeafter
anincident.Ifsomeone’s
standingonthesideofa
building and y hem
off,you’vecreateda bond.
Wewouldshatterthatbond
ifwejustdumpedthemat
the dooranddroveoff.”
Richardtalksofthe
“thinkingonyourfeet,split
second”natureofthejob,
the 20-minutechatsthat
seemlikeforever,andthe
increasednumberofcries
for helpfollowingthe
Canterburyearthquakes
andthe mosqueattacks.
“There’salotofstress
inthecommunity.
Situationsthatdon’t
end well,they’rethe
realtragedies.We
couldalways have
morepolice,wecould
alwayshavemore
ambulancestaff, we
couldhavemoremental
healthprofessionals,
but wehavetodeal
withthings withwhat
we’vegot.”
AddsLeairne,“We
haveallthetimein
theworld.Oftenthese
peoplehaven’t had
the opportunityto
havesomeonesimply
listentothem,without
judgement.That’s what
we’retheretodo, tosave
t #
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:JU
LIE
JACO
BSON
PICTURES:
TESSA
BURROWS
HAIR
&
MAKE-UP: MARIESSA WADDINGT
ON.
TEXT
:JULIE
JACOBSON
.PI
CTUR
ES:
TESS
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BU
RROW
S.
HAIR
& M