Dozens of law enforcement personnel, family, and friends gathered at the Greece Police Department on Saturday for the New York state 2019 Law Enforcement Suicide Awareness Walk.

It was the first time Blue H.E.L.P organized the walk in collaboration with Greece Police Chief Patrick Phelan.

Brian Hill, training coordinator, said 163 officers have died this year and 17 of those deaths were in New York state.

“The acronym stands for honor, educate, lead and prevent,” Hill said. “We want to honor those officers who have died by suicide, educate, take the lead, and make people aware."

He says it's not easy working in the line of duty.

“We're just another human being like anybody else,” Hill said. “But we see a lot more tragic events than the average person does. It weighs on your mind after a while."

Participants walked over three miles in honor of the sacrifices officers make and to support the families who have lost a loved one.

"It's an epidemic problem we really need to be aware [of],” Phelan said. “And [to] support each other in our efforts to mitigate that problem and find solutions."

Many in attendance called for action to lend a helping hand and break the shame and stigma — which could contribute to a higher suicide risk for law enforcement officers.

 “They always put their lives on the line every single day and they go through a lot. So, it’s important to realize that and to be there for them.”