Cambridgeshire Federation chair Liz Groom says the Police Covenant needs to be funded to support the mental and emotional health of officers.
Liz said suicide prevention was one of the main issues facing policing, as she highlighted the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) STEP (Suicide Trauma Education Programme) campaign.
Liz said: “Policing can regularly expose frontline officers to traumatic situations, from violence to loss of life, from abuse to interactions with people in crisis.
“And repeated exposure can take its toll, as well as long hours, shift work, and sleep issues, which is why support for our members is essential.
“Suicide prevention and psychological risk management are core elements of the Police Covenant and they must be urgent priorities.
“Funding of the Police Covenant needs to reflect that and be funded to support officers’ welfare and wellbeing in the same way as the Armed Forces Covenant and Covenant Fund Trust.”
Data recently released by PFEW found more than 100 police officers and staff died by suicide between 2022 and 2025, with more than 200 attempted suicides reported during that period.
However, police forces are not required to record suicide or attempted suicide, meaning the real figures are likely to be significantly higher.
PFEW is campaigning for the mandatory recording of police suicides and attempted suicides.
And it is backing the STEP campaign. Launched by Hampshire Police Federation, it calls for mandatory TRiM (Trauma Risk Management) interventions for any officer attending a suicide and the installation of the Stay Alive app by Forces on their officers’ work phones.
The Stay Alive app is designed for people experiencing suicidal thoughts and those supporting colleagues or loved ones.
It gives people immediate access to evidence-based resources and crisis contacts.
Liz said: “I don’t think anything can fully prepare officers for what they see and feel when they attend a death by suicide for the first time.
“And many of our members will attend such tragic incidents numerous times throughout their career.
“Which is why it is vital that TRiM is there for officers when they do, and it needs to be mandatory so that, hopefully, we can reduce stigma, open up conversations, and catch early warning signs.
“The app is full of tools and resources to help people stay safe in a crisis, and it’s free to download.”
Liz added: “If you need to reach out for support, please talk to your local Federation Rep or your line manager.”