Cop2Cop

Cop 2 Cop is the first program of its kind in the nation, legislated into law to focus on suicide prevention and mental health support for law enforcement officers. After a series of police suicides from 1996 to 1998, community leaders in New Jersey believed that law enforcement professionals needed a confidential, safe outlet where they could talk to peers who could understand and provide support without judgment. In 1998, the Department of Personnel—mandated by P.L. 1998, c. 149—established a statewide “law enforcement officer crisis intervention services” hotline. In 2000, the Department of Personnel contracted with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), University Behavioral Healthcare (UBHC) to provide crisis intervention services to the law enforcement community. As a result, UMDNJ developed the Cop 2 Cop program, which is the first program of its kind in the nation to focus on suicide prevention and mental health support for law enforcement officers. The program is supported by the Body Armor Replacement Fund.”