Shock and grief spread through the NYPD as the news spread that Deputy Chief Steven Silks was pronounced dead from a self inflicted gunshot wound, Wednesday evening.
Police found Silks in his off-duty vehicle on Burns St. at 69th Ave. in the Forest Hills section of Queens just before 7:00PM. He was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital, but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
According to Breaking911.com, Silks handed in his retirement papers to the NYPD last night. He was scheduled to retire at the end of July after 38 years on the job. He reportedly had pleaded with uppper brass for a promotion to two-star chief for the past three years.
Sources tell YWN that Chief Silks was Jewish and was proud of his heritage. The NYPD Chief Chaplain Rabbi Alvin Kass is talking to the family. He was a great friend of the Jewish community.
Additional information will be published when it becomes available.
SHOCK IN THE #NYPD: Deputy Chief Steven Silks has been pronounced dead from a self inflicted gun shot wound. He was on the force for 38 years and was literally just a few days away from his retirement. #RIP #NYPD pic.twitter.com/BKxr4QN5Jz
— NYScanner (@nyscanner) June 5, 2019
Deputy Chief Steven Silks of PBQN was honored and awarded tonight for his 39 years of dedicated service to the people of New York. Well deserved. Chief Silks exemplifies community policing and has worked to foster positive relationships. pic.twitter.com/81tq3S25hA
— NYPD Queens North (@NYPDQueensNorth) April 26, 2019
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1136421139000041472?s=19
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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4 Responses
sad
Nebech! What a rachmanus!
Baruch Dayan HaEmet!
The suicide comes after News 4 recently highlighted growing concerns among members of law enforcement regarding officers taking their own lives. In 2017, 140 police men and women took their own lives, with a higher per capita rate than the civilian population.
An I-Team survey of cops across the country found 78 percent experienced critical stress on the job, with 68 percent saying that stress triggered unresolved emotional issues.
Sixteen percent responded that they had thoughts of suicide. Despite those numbers nine out of 10 officers said there is a stigma attached to seeking
by all probability this was no “self inflicted” gun shot wound