Coast officials hope phone boxes will curb bridge suicides

NORTH BEND, Ore. (AP) – Officials on the Oregon coast say investing in two suicide-prevention phone booths at a bridge were suicides occur is worth the money if it saves a life.

The World reports (http://bit.ly/2no9yq0 ) that the proposed phone booths that would be located at the McCullough Bridge in North Bend have been met with public criticism.

The North Bend Police Department says there have been 47 attempted or committed suicides on the bridge in the last decade. Booth proponents hope the phones will help reduce that number.

Officials estimate that each phone booth will cost $8,000, and the coordinated-care organization Western Oregon Advanced Health has raised the funds by donation. Users will be able to call 911 from the booth.

The San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge, where suicides are also common, already has suicide-prevention boxes in place.