“Ease officers’ workloads to help mental health”

MORE needs to be done to ease officers’ workloads if their mental health is to be preserved, Essex Police Federation has warned.

The force must work harder to preserve officers’ rest days and to stop piling the work on, Mark Smith, Federation Chairman said.

Rates of stress, depression and other mental health issues are rising, new figures have shown.

In total, 353 officers reported incidents of mental illness in the financial year to the end of March – an increase of 24% from the year before. Of these, 200 reported stress as the reason for their absence.

Mr Smith said officers needed time off to recuperate from the demands of the job and said the force should recognise when too many demands are being placed on its staff.

He said: “I’d like the force to stop cancelling officers’ rest days. I’d like the force to actually acknowledge that we are where we are with the resources we have. And if we haven’t got enough resources then the Chef Constable and senior officers need to stand up and say, ‘No, I’m sorry we cannot do that anymore’, and the PCC needs to back it.”

Mr Smith blamed workloads, insufficient breaks, the cancellation of rest days and lack of recovery time for officers’ poor mental health.

He added: “I don’t think officers are being allowed to recover. I don’t think they’re being able to carry the workloads that’s expected of them.

“On top of that you’ve got officers not being able to deal with cases how they would like to, not being able to respond to people when they’re asking for help. All plays on people’s minds as well.

“I know Essex Police are working with MIND now, but I don’t think it’s enough, and I think it’s too little too late.

“There’s a lot more that needs to be done looking at workloads and what officers are having to carry as far as victims of crime files, for example.

“We haven’t got the money, we haven’t got the resources, and they’re running their main asset into the ground and causing serious mental health problems. It’s a vicious circle and a downward spiral.”