Ivyland Police Chief 'Resting Comfortably' After Surgery

Ivyland Borough Police Chief Nicholas Rosato is doing well following surgery on Monday at St. Mary's Hospital, according to Ivyland Mayor Charlie Ritter.

"He is resting comfortably at the hospital," Ritter said. "I was very upset when I first heard what happened, but when I got to the hospital, I saw he was in good hands."

Mayor Ritter doesn't expect to see Rosato back on the job for a while. In the meantime, Sgt. Rich Carey of the Horsham Township police department has taken over day-to-day operations of the police department on a part time basis. Along with the eight other Ivyland officers, Ritter is confident the borough will remain well-covered by the police department.

Rosato suffered a heart attack while directing traffic at the scene of Upper Southampton police officer Richard Lizzio's suicide. As by Upper Southampton Patch, just after 8:30 a.m. on April 15, Lizzio, a 24-year veteran of the Upper Southampton police force, was found dead in his patrol car, which was parked at the  on Bristol Road.

“Thankfully other officers were around him and able to put the AED on him and shock him,” Upper Southampton Chief of Police Ron MacPherson told Upper Southampton Patch. “They stabilized him before they took him out to St. Mary’s.”

As the Upper Southampton police department closed early Friday to deal with the tragedy, officers from Warminster, Northampton and Lower Southampton stepped in to assist with covering the township until Saturday morning.

"There were three to four officers patrolling the area and responding to calls around the clock," said Warminster Police Chief S. Michael Murphy. "This isn't something you plan for, it just kicks in automatically."

Murphy did not know Lizzio personally, nor did he think anybody else in the department was well-acquainted with him, other than the occasional shared call. He offered his sympathy to the Upper Southampton township, police department and Lizzio's family, but could not hide his disappointment in the officer's action.

"It's such a tragedy," said Murphy, "but suicide is a selfish act. It leaves everyone else behind trying to reconcile what happened and figure out what to do. I can't think of a reason why someone would do that."

According to a study published in the International Journal of Emergency Mental Health in 2008, there are roughly 150 police officer suicides a year. The National Surveillance of Police Suicide Study showed that the highest risk for officer suicide was between the ages of 35-39 and service times between 10-14 years.

Murphy feels that the day-to-day stress of being on the job can also be a factor on the well-being of an officer.

"We deal with mayhem on a daily basis," said Murphy. "That's why I tell my guys to talk to somebody. A spouse, a family member, a good friend, anybody they can trust. I come home and talk to my wife about everything."