A campaign to combat the rising number of police officer suicides has been launched this week (Monday 24 March) with an immediate aim to raise awareness of the traumatic experiences faced by cops every day.
The Suicide Trauma Education Prevention (STEP) initiative is an effort to help officers around the topic of suicide in various guises, including the response to incidents where a member of the public has taken their own life.
Across the 36 months of 2015, 2016 and 2017, there were an estimated 60 suicides among police officers and police community support officers (PCSOs) in England and Wales.
In a 33-month period between April 2021 and January 2024, 80 suspected suicides were recorded among police officers and staff.
Chair of Cambridgeshire Police Federation Liz Groom has backed the STEP movement, saying: “By its nature, policing is a job full of demands and stressors that would be enough to test anyone.
“Those in the profession see things on a daily basis which the vast majority of the public are insulated from. This includes violence and self-harm all the way up to death and suicide.
“I think it only right, therefore, that officers get support that is bespoke to the job, beyond the wider advice already out there – the more specific, the better.
“And now we have something place with a focus narrowed down to suicide, I hope we can really start getting down to the details of why a police officer might want to take their own life.”
A key element of the STEP campaign is a bid for Trauma Risk Management (TRiM), already widely used across the police force, to be implemented in every occurrence of an officer responding to a suicide call.
This comes against the backdrop of 2023 having 7,055 deaths in the UK with a recorded cause of suicide, the highest rate per size of population since 1999.
“In a climate where suicide is becoming increasingly common, it is vital police officers remember they are not expected to live outside of that and only be helpers and rescuers in relation to it,” Liz added.
“We always want you to be okay, but sometimes, you may simply not be. With STEP coming into motion, there is an effort being made all the time to get you the support you need, so you can feel confident reaching out if you are struggling.”
The campaign, which is being led by Hampshire Police Federation chair Spencer Wragg is set to lobby chief officers, MPs and police and crime commissioners in its bid for more comprehensive help for officers impacted by thoughts around suicide.
If members feel they need support, they should contact the Federation immediately.
For Samaritans, call 116 123
There is also support offered by charities such as Flint House, the Police Treatment Centres (PTCs), The Ben Fund, Oscar Kilo, PTSD 999, Police Chaplaincy and Police Care.