Police save a woman who wanted to jump off a bridge

Another person was ready to jump from the Robert Street bridge in St. Paul today and, as we’ve said in this space too many times, it’s impossible to stay focused on the systemic failures that can lead to suicide when we never know the story and likely never will know.

So, these stories become tales of the heroism of the police if the stories get any attention at all.

The Pioneer Press provides the video.

“It breaks your heart to see people struggling with depression and it’s so rewarding to know that our officers, the guardians of St. Paul, were there to help this woman,” Axtell told the Pioneer Press. “The sad part is our officers do this frequently and oftentimes the recognition isn’t there.”

It’s a figure of speech, of course. That’s not the sad part.

“I think this really highlights the need for all of us to recognize that people struggling with depression need help and resources,” Axtell said.

That need has been obvious for years and providing resources is pretty low on the priority list. It’s been 10 years since mental health parity became law. Minnesota still doesn’t enforce it, mental health experts in the state say.

That’s the sad part.