You're listening to TED Talks Daily. I'm your host, Elise Hugh. Police officers have a role that we don't think of very often. If you die outside the hospital, it's often law enforcement who have to break the news to people that their loved one has died. In today's talk from TED 2020, police officer

Jeremy Brewer shares what he has learned about grief, trauma, and empathy from one of the

most difficult parts of his job, discussing death. I'm not sure what you might think when you

think about the job of a police officer.

Recent events have sparked lots of debate over the role of law enforcement in our society and if it should change.

And that's a big, important conversation that we all need to have.

But today, I'd like to talk about something that's at the core to my day-to-day work,

something not often discussed when talking about police work.

And that's dealing with trauma, hurt, and loss.

What's it like to tell someone?

Someone that they know, someone that they love, died suddenly.

Many of you might think this is done by hospitals or doctors. If you die there,

well, it usually is. If you die outside the hospital, it's more often than not the police

who notify that nearest loved one. Doing that type of work has taught me powerful lessons

on approaching highly charged situations in all areas of my life.

My passion to connect started about 10 years ago. I responded to a death call that changed me.

A woman, let's call her Vicky. Vicky called because her husband had suddenly collapsed in the hallway of their home.

The first responders and I tried everything.

We gave it our best effort.

But he died.

In complete devastation, Vicky fell to the floor.

Instantly, I could feel us strapping on that emotional armor, going right to work on policies

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