Police officers have tragically taken their own lives due to the \u201csheer pressure\u201d of the job, South Yorkshire Police Federation has warned.<\/p>\n
Federation Chair Steve Kent said the plight in mental health among officers was a \u201cticking timebomb\u201d for policing.<\/p>\n
Figures revealed between 2011 and 2022, a total of 242 police officers and PCSOs in England and Wales took their own lives.<\/p>\n
A further 80 former and serving police officers committed suicide between 2021 and 2024.<\/p>\n
Steve said: \u201cIt is absolutely catastrophic to families, friends and colleagues when it happens, and the shockwaves go on for a long time.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt does seem to be that there\u2019s a disproportionate amount where it happens to our officers, and there needs to be real recognition as to what this is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve said lengthy misconduct proceedings, the \u201csheer pressure\u201d of the work and the lack of time afforded to process trauma were all factors harming police mental health.<\/p>\n
He praised the new Suicide Trauma Education Prevention (STEP) campaign raising awareness of the daily trauma being faced by officers.<\/p>\n
Steve added: \u201cWe are a ticking timebomb for mental health in policing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is sadly the extreme end, but it\u2019s something that urgently needs awareness and urgently needs to be addressed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you tell the public how many officers take their own lives, I think they\u2019re absolutely shocked.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve also warned that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among officers was not being dealt with until too late.<\/p>\n
He said forces were good at reacting at things, but more proactive measures needed to be imposed.<\/p>\n
Steve continued: \u201cSadly, a lot of the time, they\u2019re already broken by the demands that are put on them and by what they\u2019re seeing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe damage has almost been done and we\u2019re just then frantically trying to repair it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere needs to be more awareness across the board to try and stop this, because it\u2019s going to become an epidemic – there\u2019s absolutely no doubt about it.\u201d<\/p>\n