13th LASD Suicide Sparks Outcry Over Sheriff Luna’s Leadership as Critics Demand Mental Health Reform

By Devin Breitenberg

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) is once again under intense scrutiny following the 13th employee suicide to occur under the administration of Sheriff Robert Luna, prompting renewed questions about the department’s mental health policies, leadership response, and long-term approach to internal trauma.

The latest suicide, which occurred in Pico Rivera, involved a deputy assigned to the North County Correctional Facility. The officer, whose identity is being withheld pending notification of family, was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and later pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts by emergency personnel. The incident adds to a grim and growing list of suicides within LASD—13 in just 17 months, averaging nearly one suicide every six weeks.

This troubling pattern was foreshadowed in November 2023, when four LASD employees, including three active-duty deputies and one retired officer, died by suicide within a span of 24 hours. That cluster of deaths sent shockwaves throughout law enforcement communities nationwide and was described by many rank-and-file officers as a breaking point in departmental morale.

A Culture Under Pressure

LASD, the nation’s largest sheriff’s department, has long faced criticism for its internal culture. Recent years have brought additional scrutiny over chronic staffing shortages, mandated overtime, and high-stress assignments, particularly among those stationed in correctional facilities.

While Sheriff Luna has expressed condolences in each instance and issued statements urging coworkers to “check in on one another,” his critics say those words ring hollow in the absence of systemic change.

“There is no serious intervention strategy at play. Deputies are burning out, isolated, and unsupported—and leadership seems to think offering a phone number is enough,” said a veteran LASD sergeant who spoke on condition of anonymity.

In anonymous internal letters circulated earlier this year, LASD employees detailed a department-wide mental health crisis characterized by a lack of access to trauma-informed counseling, inadequate leave policies, and what many describe as a disconnected or indifferent leadership culture.

Expert Warning: “The Leading Cause of Death for Officers is Suicide”

Mental health professionals who work with law enforcement say the current rate of suicide at LASD is not just alarming—it’s catastrophic.

“Most civilians don’t realize that the number one cause of death of police officers in the United States is suicide,” said Dr. Robert Perkins, Professor of Applied Psychophysiology at the College of Certified Psychophysiologists in Anaheim, California.

Dr. Perkins is an internationally recognized educator in the field of trauma and formerly taught Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) under California’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.). According to Perkins, structured trauma intervention—especially following traumatic incidents—was once more common in California law enforcement, but has since deteriorated.

“Police departments have to have preventative strategies in place to help mitigate the trauma their officers incur each and every day,” Dr. Perkins explained. “P.O.S.T. offered CISD training statewide from 2019 until 2022. Then, without explanation or replacement, the program was discontinued. That was a catastrophic mistake. Departments were left without a vital tool.”

Dr. Perkins further emphasized that trauma in policing is cumulative and often invisible, noting that officers frequently suppress their psychological distress out of fear of stigma or reprisal.

LASD’s Response and a Lack of Transparency

In public statements, the LASD has reiterated that resources are available through its Psychological Services Bureau (PSB) and Injury and Health Support Unit (IHSU). However, the utilization rate of those services remains unclear, and many officers report not feeling safe accessing help due to fears of administrative scrutiny or professional consequences.

An internal audit conducted in late 2024—never released publicly but leaked to media—revealed that only 11% of deputies accessed PSB services in the previous year, despite more than 70% reporting symptoms of stress, depression, or burnout in a confidential survey.

Critics have called for an external review of LASD’s mental health protocols and demanded that Sheriff Luna reinstate mandatory post-incident debriefings, increase access to third-party psychological support, and revamp internal cultural attitudes that discourage officers from seeking help.

A Broader National Crisis

The tragedy unfolding at LASD is part of a larger crisis affecting police departments across the country. According to Blue H.E.L.P., an organization that tracks law enforcement suicides, more than 175 officers died by suicide in the United States in 2024, a number that outpaces line-of-duty deaths by a wide margin.

Experts warn that the emotional toll of modern policing—exacerbated by public scrutiny, high-profile incidents, and societal polarization—is driving many officers to the breaking point. Dr. Perkins suggests that while resources are technically “available,” what’s often missing is true access, trust, and institutional follow-through.

“Mental health has to be part of the command structure—not just an optional service tacked onto the end. If officers don’t feel safe using it, they won’t,” he said.

What Comes Next?

As another family grieves and another department reels, pressure continues to mount on Sheriff Luna to demonstrate more than sympathy. Critics within and outside the agency insist that words must be met with structural change, particularly in the areas of mental health prevention, early intervention, and leadership accountability.

Several LASD employees have quietly launched a petition calling for the reinstatement of P.O.S.T.-certified CISD programs and the creation of a 24/7 confidential peer support line managed by external clinicians.

Meanwhile, rank-and-file officers, chaplains, and trauma professionals are left doing what they can to support each other—while wondering if the leadership at the top will finally treat the crisis with the urgency it deserves.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available. In the U.S., call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In Canada, support is also available by calling or texting 988, 24/7.

Devin Breitenberg is a legal consultant and senior counsel at Devin Law LLC and legal contributor  for Veritas Expositae.  You can reach her at devin.breitenberg@veritasexpositae.com