From Crisis Response to Prevention: Why Former Police Chief Eric Burr Believes in Hope Squad

As former Police Chief of the Arkansas City, Kansas Police Department, Eric Burr has seen some of the hardest moments a community can face.

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He’s seen what happens when problems go unnoticed. He knows how important it is to intervene early. And he fiercely believes that sometimes a small moment of connection can change an outcome—or even the course of someone’s life.

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In 2020, after losing a teen to suicide in his community, a grieving parent asked him a question he couldn’t shake:

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“Who is going to do something about this?”

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That question became a call to action. Eric went looking for a program that could help schools intervene before a crisis—and found Hope Squad.

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Four years later, he’s serving as the Safety & Security Coordinator for a local school district that has implemented Hope Squad, where they’re seeing more students seek help and more students refer peers who are struggling.  

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That kind of early intervention is happening in Hope Squad schools nationwide: During the 2025-2026 school year, more than 14,000 students were referred for help through Hope Squad, directly related to suicide concerns.

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In Eric’s district alone, Hope Squad impacts more than 1,400 middle and high school students, along with their families and the wider community.

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As Eric reflects about Hope Squad, he says:

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“It’s given us the opportunity to intervene before a crisis happens. Hope Squad has been a real lifesaver! I can’t imagine where we would be without this program and the caliber of students we have cultivated to lead this charge.”

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Eric’s perspective is a powerful reminder: Student well-being isn’t just a school counselor’s job; it belongs to everyone. When a community comes together to support each other, prevention is stronger, and lives are saved.

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Hope Squad gives schools a practical way to put prevention into action, equipping students to recognize when a peer may be struggling, reach out, and connect them with trusted adults.

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And when leaders who have truly seen it all choose to champion that work, it’s worth paying attention.