"I've spoken to the chief of police in Brownsville and he has assured me that we've had a suicide, one, two suicides a day since since COVID happened here in Brownsville, since March..." Statement by Brownsville Independent School District board member Laura Perez-Reyes made July 13 during an emergency-called meeting to decide how to open the district schools
By Erin Sheridan
From The Brownsville Herald
"A report of suicides rising in Brownsville sent worry through the community on Monday. Asked to confirm whether suicides have increased in frequency since March, Brownsville Police Department public information officer Jose A. Laredo found that rates have actually remained steady compared to previous years.
“From March 1 to July 15, 2018, there were two suicides. In 2019 for that same time period, there were four. And then this year, March 1 to July 15, there was a total of four. I’m familiar with the challenges — how we have to adapt to COVID, wearing masks,” said Laredo.
“Before, we would be shaking hands, hugging our relatives, and having that closeness. People may assume that because of that change, things could be getting worse. But those are the numbers we have.”
Upon further research, Laredo reported that attempted suicides — in which the person survived — have actually halved from March 1 to July 15, 2020 in comparison to previous years. There were 76 attempted in 2020 as opposed to 123 attempted between March and July of 2019, and 125 attempted in 2018 in the same time frame."
To read rest of article, click on link: https://www.brownsvilleherald.com/2020/07/18/virus-blamed-increase-stress/