Battle Ground mayor proclaims September 2025 Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month

Mayor McCoy read a proclamation on Aug. 18 designating September 2025 as National Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month for the City of Battle Ground. The proclamation, requested by a council member, asks residents, government agencies, schools and businesses to recommit to increasing awareness and access to mental‑health services.

A council member who requested the proclamation described personal losses to suicide and said the designation is an opportunity "to remember those we've lost, support those who struggle, and affirm our commitment to fostering hope, understanding, and compassion." Police Chief Flynn provided local statistics to the council and warned of the toll on first responders.

Chief Flynn told the council that in the last six years authorities recorded 14 suicides in Battle Ground — 11 men and three women — including 12 adults and two juveniles, and said the city has seen a decline since the COVID‑era peak of 2020 with the exception of 2023. He also described department resources for officer mental‑health support and confidential clinician access.

The proclamation cites national data about suicide as a leading cause of death in age groups 10–64 and 10–34 and calls on the community to promote prevention tools, identify those at risk and support access to treatment.

Quotes: “It is important that we be aware, be educated, and be proactive in supporting those with mental health issues and their families,” the council member who requested the proclamation said. Chief Flynn said, “As our population continues to get older, the risk for suicide gets higher,” and noted departmental investments in officer mental‑health support.

Next steps: The mayor formally designated September 2025 as National Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month for the City of Battle Ground via proclamation read into the record on Aug. 18; the proclamation asks local organizations to recommit to awareness and services.