CHICAGO (WGN) — For Chicago police, there's a quiet room where officers can go to decompress after their dealings.

It's a safe place, the department says, for its service members in blue, who don't have to feel embarrassed over seeking help. Chicago police Supt. Larry Snelling has made officer wellness a cornerstone of administration, saying the stance was born out of necessity.

"I want people to understand that it is not a weakness to ask for help. It is not a weakness to seek out counseling. It is not a weakness to go in and talk to someone about some of the issues that you're dealing with," Snelling said.

A U.S. Department of Justice study published in 2017 found that CPD had a suicide rate 60% higher than the national average. In 2022, a city inspector general report found that the

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