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In 1954, the 83rd U.S. Congress amended the 1938 law that made Armistice Day a national holiday, removing the word “Armistice” in favor of “veterans.” President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the law on June 1, 1954. From that point on, November 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars. According to the Department of Justice’s COPS office, nearly 25 percent of U.S. law enforcement officers have military training. We thank them for their service.
Unfortunately, the suicide rate among veterans is approximately 57% higher than the general public for a variety of reasons, from PTSD to substance abuse to other mental health issues. With that in mind, The Independence Fundheadquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, launched the Veterans Justice Initiative Under the direction of Clark Pennington, a former police chief. The goal of the initiative is to improve law enforcement’s understanding of the challenges veterans face and facilitate their access to necessary treatment. The first year was so successful that North Carolina State funding officially extended thanks to its recently passed state budget.
In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, sponsored by Lexipolhost Jim Dudley speaks with Clark Pennington about the program, which aims to address deep-rooted mental health and substance abuse issues within the veteran community.
About our sponsor
This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support, and grants for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.
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