Mental health struggles are quietly claiming more lives than gunfights — and it’s time we had an honest conversation about it.

In this powerful episode of the North Idaho Experience Podcast, we sit down with Johan Schmidtz, former attorney, local law enforcement officer, firearms instructor, and passionate mental health advocate. Together, we dig deep into the realities facing first responders today: why mental health challenges have become the number one killer of cops, how outdated stigmas are slowly being broken, and what real solutions look like on the ground.

If you’re part of the law enforcement community, a family member of a first responder, or simply someone who cares about supporting those who serve, this episode — and this blog — is for you.

From the Courtroom to the Cruiser: Johan’s Unconventional Journey into Law Enforcement

Not every cop story begins with a police academy dream at age 18. For Johan, it started much later, after spending nearly two decades as a successful attorney, often representing clients against bureaucratic systems and even police departments.

It wasn’t until age 39 that Johan decided to leave the legal world behind and step into law enforcement, driven by a long-held desire to make a more direct impact. As he explains, the decision wasn’t easy, and at times he questioned it, but his unique background brought critical perspective to both training methods and mental health awareness within his department.

“We all have this altruistic streak in us that made us do this. I still believe that’s what drew me here,” Johan shares.

His transition also highlights something many departments overlook: the value of life experience. His ability to adapt, lead, and advocate stems from a broader worldview that many younger recruits simply haven’t lived yet.

Pulling Back the Curtain: What Law Enforcement Really Looks Like

Most people’s understanding of police work comes from Hollywood — flashy gunfights, high-speed chases, and heroes lauded by grateful communities.
The reality? It’s much darker — and much lonelier.

Officers spend 90% of their time dealing with the 10% of society struggling the most: addiction, abuse, poverty, and trauma.
It’s not rare to encounter child fatalities, domestic violence, suicides, and severe mental health crises — all in a single shift.

“You think you’re prepared. You’re not. You can’t be until you live it day after day,” Johan says.

Exposure to this level of human suffering slowly erodes even the strongest officers. It’s not the violent gunfights that break them — it’s the constant drip of sadness, anger, and helplessness that accumulates over years of service.

The Number One Thing Killing Cops: It’s Not the Streets

Every year, about 60 to 70 police officers are killed by felonious assault — shootings, stabbings, and violent attacks.
But nearly three times that number — 180+ officers — die by suicide every year.

And yet, we still focus our training, conversations, and resources almost entirely on the visible dangers, rarely addressing the internal battles most officers fight alone.

In Johan’s words:

“We signed up for a dangerous job. If my time comes on the street, so be it. But I don’t want to be another officer who does it to themselves.”

Ignoring mental health isn’t just costing lives — it’s eroding the heart of departments everywhere. The emotional toll doesn’t care about how tough or experienced you are. Without real support, even the most resilient officers eventually crack under the weight.

Building Solutions: Breaking the Stigma with Real Support

In response to the mental health crisis, Johan and his team developed a simple but powerful model:

• Confidentiality: No command staff. No paperwork. No judgment.
  
  
• Accessibility: Easy, private access to vetted mental health providers.
  
  
• Normalization: Talking about mental health is treated like talking about fitness or going to the doctor.
  
  

Through the Coeur d’Alene Police Foundation, and now merged under the Red + Blue Foundation, their program has seen over 50% of their department seek mental health support — a staggering figure considering the historical stigma.

This shift didn’t happen by accident. It happened because trusted leaders like Johan, respected for their skills, toughness, and experience, openly shared their own struggles first.

“We can’t pretend it’s weakness anymore. It’s survival. And survival is strength.”

Training to Win: The Evolution of Law Enforcement Firearms Programs

Mental health isn’t the only battlefield changing inside law enforcement.
Firearms training is, too and Johan has been at the forefront of this evolution.

Traditionally, police firearms programs focused heavily on static range shooting, standing still, and punching paper targets. But real-world gunfights aren’t static. They’re chaotic, violent, and unpredictable.

Johan revolutionized training with a fight-based approach:

• Close-quarters battle drills that mimic real-life distances.
  
  
• Time-pressure exercises that simulate high-stress conditions.
  
  
• Movement and adaptability over simple accuracy.
  
  

“Gunfighting is just fighting. Your gun is simply an extension of your body.”

Instead of obsessing over bullseye accuracy from 25 yards away, Johan teaches officers how to fight, move, and survive — using both their bodies and their weapons together.

Balance, Perspective, and the Power of One Day

Beyond the tactics and training, the deeper lesson from Johan’s story and this conversation is about balance.

Life, like policing, is a constant rollercoaster.
You can’t truly appreciate the highs without experiencing the lows.
You can’t become resilient without first being broken and rebuilt.

Johan shares two powerful lessons passed down from his father:

1. “Any job is like a bucket of water.” When you leave, the hole you leave fills almost instantly. Don’t let your identity be your job.
   
   
2. “You get one day.” One day to celebrate success. One day to mourn failure. Then move forward.
   
   

If more officers, leaders, and community members embraced these ideas, fewer would get stuck in the trauma. Fewer would spiral after retirement. More would find meaning outside the uniform.

How You Can Support First Responders Right Now

Whether you’re a fellow officer, a spouse, a friend, or a citizen who simply respects the badge, here’s how you can help:

• Normalize mental health conversations — treat therapy like physical training.
  
  
• Support programs like the Red + Blue Foundation — they make real, confidential help possible.
  
  
• Stay connected. Loneliness kills. Connection saves.
  
  

North Idaho isn’t just beautiful because of its mountains and lakes. It’s beautiful because of the people — and that includes the brave men and women who protect it every day.

Contact our team if you’re moving to North Idaho — or just want to be part of a stronger, healthier, freer community.

A Call for a New Kind of Strength

The strongest officers aren’t the ones who bury everything until it explodes.
The strongest officers are the ones who train, fight, seek help, and live to fight another day.

If we want to save more lives in 2025 and beyond — on and off the streets — it’s time to embrace a broader definition of survival.

It’s time to treat mental health in law enforcement as seriously as any other threat.

And it’s time to start today.