TRAINING\u00a0 is being rolled out across South Yorkshire Police to ensure police officers are better supported after dealing with traumatic incidents.<\/p>\n
Trauma Risk Management – or \u201cTRiM\u201d – sees trained individuals offering support to officers who may be struggling emotionally and intervening to prevent the development of illness such as stress, depression or anxiety.Repeated exposure to trauma can have a serious detrimental effect on a police officer\u2019s mental health – with roads policing officers at high risk, along with those who investigate child sexual exploitation and firearms officers, the Police Federation of England and Wales said last month.<\/p>\n
Steve Kent, South Yorkshire Police Federation Chairman, said: \u201cSpeaking from a 16-year frontline cop\u2019s point of view, it is absolutely vital that managers have these conversations with their staff after tricky incidents.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere needs to be more debriefing, there needs to be less stigma and more conversations around, \u2018Is everybody alright?\u2019. Even if it\u2019s just that case of giving a cop a quick bell or following up and saying, \u2018Look, that wasn\u2019t very pleasant. How are you getting on?\u2019, and it can make a huge difference, and then these issues can be identified.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could be a crime scene, it could be a road traffic collision, it can be anything. The trauma that an officer is exposed to is massive so we need to again put these support mechanisms in place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve encouraged police officers to keep on talking to people about how they are feeling, adding that the stigma that has traditionally been attached to mental health problems is lessening. He said: \u201cThere\u2019s a macho culture in the police. It is slowly starting to break down but it is still there and that can be a huge barrier to people talking and getting stuff off their chest. Remember it is okay not to be okay. It is good to talk to each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
South Yorkshire Police has also introduced a mental health app called \u201cBack Up Buddy\u201d, which officers can access if they feel they need extra support. Steve urged police officers to download the software, adding: \u201cWe\u2019re one of the few forces who\u2019s got it and it is quite good.\u201d To find out more, go to: http:\/\/backupbuddy.uk\/<\/a><\/p>\n