Laredo committee hears rise in suicides; discusses crisis teams, family protocol and 988 outreach

LAREDO, Texas — Members of Laredo’s suicide-prevention committee were told the city has recorded 11 suicides so far this year and reviewed a series of April incidents as the group discussed expanding crisis-response teams, formalizing a family follow-up protocol and boosting public outreach to 988.

The updates came during the committee meeting when a Laredo Police Department sergeant presented monthly calls and a heat map of where incidents are concentrated. “So far in this year, we have 11 suicides,” the sergeant said while summarizing April responses and recent attempted suicides and deaths.

Committee members and partner agencies described several current and planned responses. Frank (Border Region children’s program staff) said a co-response “smart team” is already being stood up that will include Border Region staff and officers; youth and adult mobile crisis outreach teams (YCOT and MCOT) were also discussed as sources of data and response.

Jacqueline (committee member) proposed a written protocol for families who experience a suicide or attempt so follow-up and referrals happen consistently. She urged that the investigator assigned to a scene — not the first officer on site — gather contact information and pass it to mental-health stakeholders and school districts for outreach. “I think the best place to start would be with the investigator,” Jacqueline said in describing the recommended flow of information.

Members discussed training the response and referral process so it becomes routine. One committee member suggested creating a form or policy similar to domestic-violence paperwork so officers are prompted to follow the protocol and the practice becomes part of department procedure.

Public outreach and prevention messaging were also emphasized. A committee member urged the group to push a simple message on social media: “Are you concerned about a loved one? Call or text 988.” The health department has social-media graphics for April that participants agreed to share, and officers and partners discussed adding the committee logo and local contacts to those graphics.

Training and peer-support efforts were reported as well. Members described a recent LOST (Local Outreach Suicide Survivors) training and recommended including people with lived experience on outreach teams. The group also reviewed a smartphone resource, described as the Columbia app, that could give officers and residents local referral information and was suggested for wider distribution to patrol staff.

Next steps recorded during the meeting included inviting the two local school districts and Webb County mental-health partners to a future meeting, the sergeant volunteering to contact Webb County about participation, staff drafting a flowchart/protocol for investigator follow-up and stakeholders agreeing to circulate 988 outreach materials on their social platforms. The committee set continued development of the co-response team, sharing of YCOT/MCOT monthly reports, and follow-up invitations as action items ahead of the next meeting.