Kendall County Times

Representatives from the Joliet Police Department appeared before the City Council meeting recently to share information about a new teen suicide prevention program: Operation Disrupt.

The program was created to be an easy, inexpensive, and effective way to disrupt suicide attempts by young adults in public places, and it was developed by a Naperville officer.

Immediate steps include identifying places where suicides have occurred or that fit the profile of places where attempts have been made. The department will put up signs that they have already printed and then direct patrols to these locations regularly. The officers will be informed of specific protocols if they do encounter an individual attempting suicide. 

"[The signs are] going to have an informational phone number on there, they could call for a suicide line if they need it," Officer Michelle Bannis told the Council. "And they did a study, they said that it usually occurs Monday through Thursday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. So that's when more of our patrol over there and just be on the lookout for signs of suicide of children in that area."

The overhead cost for this program is between $200-$300. Naperville officers have reported that this program has definitely saved at least one life, though they suspect many more. The department has also looked into researching the most common times throughout the week that attempts occur and will change their patrols accordingly.