MOSCOW. May 20 (Interfax) - The Russian police force saw a general drop in suicides in 2009 despite more than a third of regions reporting a surge, according to an report presented by the Interior Ministry's personnel department.
"Constant attention to the prevention of suicide and additional precautions taken in 2009 reduced the police suicide rate by 8%. The indicator stood at 1.5 per 10,000 police officers [1.6 in 2008 and 2 in 2007]," the report said.
Meanwhile, 29 regional police departments reported a growth in suicides. The highest rates were seen in Tuva (7.3 per 10,000 police officers), Kalmykia (7.1), Buryatia (5.9), Chuvashia (5.7), the Jewish Autonomous District (6.1) and the Trans-Baikal Territory (5.3).
"The majority of suicides resulted from family crises (40% of all cases), financial problems (18%) and housing problems (9%)," the report said.