1,000 police workers suffer stress
Almost 1,000 police staff in the West Midlands have taken time off work due to stress in the last three years – and more than half of them were front line officers, figures reveal today.
Almost 1,000 police staff in the West Midlands have taken time off work due to stress in the last three years – and more than half of them were front line officers, figures reveal today.
Staff who have gone sick range from detective constables to cleaners, with reasons given for absence ranging from anxiety and depression to post-traumatic stress.
The figures have been released to the Express & Star following a request under the Freedom of Information Act. They show 959 West Midlands Police staff members have taken a stress-related absence.
The figures refer to a period from April 2006 to March 2009, and include some 566 officers. A total of 178 were police constables, 148 of them in one year.
Another 76 were detective constables, 75 were neighbourhood support officers and 18 were either detective sergeants or inspectors.
There was another 104 operations centre officers, 28 cleaners, eight scenes of crime officers, four telephone operators and five drivers who have also had absences from work due to stress.
Other positions include counter terrorism officers, firearms officers, emergency call operators and kennel attendants.
Retired police superintendent John Mellor, aged 80, said today stress counselling did not happen in his day: "I understand that modern police officers like those in my day suffer from stress and it seems everything these days seems to be done to assist them.
"Back then when officers got sent to incidents such as murders or bad road accidents, which could be causes of stress, they didn't seem to notice it."
West Midlands Police employs some 12,500 people and says up to 50 per cent of stress and related illnesses is due to external causes, such as bereavement. People who report sick stating stress or trauma are referred to the force's in-house counselling section within 14 days.
Bosses believe by early intervention and the introduction of additional therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy, hypnotherapy and anxiety and anger management, they are able to cover more conditions that cause absence. West Midlands Police was unavailable for comment.
