Former police officers reveal the trauma they suffer

Chief constables have also recently announced that all forces will introduce mandatory recording of police officer suicides.

This comes after senior coroner Penelope Schofield published a prevention of future deaths report, external following the death of Sussex officer Benjamin Websdale, who was being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct at the time.

The Police Federation said more than 100 police officers and staff across the country had died by suicide since 2022.

It claims more than half of police suicides – 32 out of 55 – recorded across the UK from 2022-24 involved officers under investigation.

Matthew Scott, Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner and the National Association of Police Crime Commissioners lead for mental health, has been calling for changes.

“We are not aware of the full scale of this problem and we need to be making every possible step to make sure we are looking after people and recording when, tragically, people are taking their own lives,” he said.

Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said: “Our police officers and staff put their lives at risk and operate under immense pressure each and every day.

“They demonstrate exceptional courage and resilience to keep us safe, and it is crucial we protect them in return.

“As we deliver our reforms to policing, we will ensure that their wellbeing is prioritised, protected and never treated as an afterthought.”

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