Retired officer who responded to Parkland shooting talks mental stress with Tarpon Springs officers

Mental health training for local law enforcement

FOX 13's Lloyd Sowers went to a mental health event for a local police department as suicide rates have climbed among law enforcement.

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - The Tarpon Springs Police Department reached out for help when it comes to mental health among their officers, and they got it from someone who experienced one of the worst acts of violence Florida has ever seen. 

The backstory:

The images of the terrible school shooting in Parkland are etched in our minds, and they still haunt now-retired Coral Springs Police Officer Richard Best. He was there and now talks to other law enforcement officers about the mental challenges of the job. 

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"We have less than 100 killed in the line of duty, and we have almost the same number take their own life," Best said. 

Best formed a non-profit called Warrior Spirit Health and Wellness where he teaches skills about coping with mental stress. 

Local perspective:

A seminar was held for Tarpon Springs police officers and others from Pinellas County. Best shared skills and resources with them on how to cope with mental stress as a first responder. 

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The training encourages officers to talk to one another about what they're feeling and to seek counseling, so they don't take mental trauma home to their families. 

What they're saying:

For the retired officer who will never forget the Parkland shooting that killed 14 students and three school staff members, it's a way to pay it forward as a positive.

"If I can do anything to make them safer, live longer and a better person, it's a success," Best said. 

The training was mandatory for the more than 50 Tarpon Springs officers.