George Washington Bridge Suicide Watch Told Not To Restrain Jumpers: Report

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — The George Washington Bridge is one of the busiest bridges in the United States. It's also one of the most deadly, and not because of car crashes.

Eighteen people jumped to their death from the bridge in 2015, and 12 people jumped to their death in 2016. If it weren't for Port Authority police officers patrolling the bridge — which spans the Hudson River between Washington Heights and Fort Lee, N.J. — those numbers could have been much higher.

But those officers may be prevented from saving lives following a new directive passed down this week by the Port Authority.

Port Authority police officers assigned to the George Washington Bridge suicide patrol were recently barred from using physical force to restrain suicide jumpers on the bridge, according to a directive obtained by the Daily News. The new directive orders bridge patrol officers to hold back until the Emergency Service Unit — manned by officers trained in the use of security equipment such as harnesses — arrives to secure the jumper, the Daily News reported.

Under the directive an Emergency Services Unit truck is to be stationed at the bridge any time the pedestrian walkways are kept open, reported the Daily News, but it's currently unknown when the directive will be put in motion.

Since 2014 the George Washington Bridge "suicide squad" has prevented 230 people from taking their lives by jumping from the bridge, the Daily News reported, with 70 potential suicide jumpers being saved last year alone.

A message left with the Port Authority was not immediately returned.

Read the full Daily News article here.

Photo by Gryffindor via Wikimedia Commons