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East Granby woman offers relief for law enforcement

EAST GRANBY — Trish Buchanan knows how stressful a police officer’s job can get. Her husband, Pete Buchanan was a police officer in East Hartford fo...

EAST GRANBY -- Trish Buchanan knows how stressful a police officer's job can get.

Her husband, Pete Buchanan was a police officer in East Hartford for close to 24 years. She says the rigors of the job wore on his mind.

“He had a teenager that dies in his arms and you can imagine the things that he had seen," says Buchanan.

He lost sleep and stopped eating. After taking some time off from the force and returning, his struggles came to an unfortunate end.

“March 12th, 2013 sadly Paul took his own life at the police department. And he left us a note that said make my death an issue and help others that are like me,” says Buchanan.

Buchanan started the organization "Believe 208" after her late husband's badge number. It offers essential services to first responders suffering from stress and PTSD.

“We’re able to provide peer support training and suicide awareness. We provide mind fitness and resiliency training with the funds. Anything that our officers need," said Trish.

Each year her organization organizes a race that pays for all the services. Eventually Buchanan says she wants to see laws changed.

She would like Worker's Compensation to include PTSD as a workplace injury for law enforcement.

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