Kevin Briggs

Kevin Briggs
Occupation	California Highway Patrol officer
Years active	1990–2013 (CHP), military service 1981–1984
Known for	Suicide prevention at the Golden Gate Bridge

Sergeant Kevin Briggs, often referred to as the Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge, is a California Highway Patrol officer renowned for his work in suicide prevention. Throughout his career, he successfully intervened in over 200 suicide attempts at the Golden Gate Bridge. In 2013, Briggs retired from active duty to dedicate himself entirely to suicide prevention efforts.

Biography

Briggs enlisted in the United States Army in 1981, serving for three years before transitioning to work as a correctional officer at Soledad and San Quentin prisons starting in 1987. After completing training at the California Highway Patrol Academy in 1990, he began his assignment on the Golden Gate Bridge in 1994. During this time, he estimated preventing roughly two suicide attempts each month. Despite his interventions, two individuals did ultimately jump following his efforts.

In 2003, Briggs explained that his method involved initiating a casual dialogue before directly inquiring about the person’s intentions regarding self-harm. When individuals expressed uncertainty about their plans for the following day, he encouraged them to create plans or suggested they return later if they needed more time.

In May 2013, the California Highway Patrol received a public service award for suicide prevention from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which Briggs accepted on their behalf. After retiring that same year, he committed himself fully to advancing suicide prevention programs.

See also

• Law enforcement in the United States
• Don Ritchie
• Yukio Shige
• Chen Si
• Suicides at the Golden Gate Bridge