Stress figures ‘show how thin the blue line is’

NEARLY 300 Essex Police officers have taken time off sick through mental-health related illness in the last year, new figures have shown.

Figures showed that 165 police officers fell ill with stress, while 67 reported depression and 53 were suffering from anxiety. Twelve Essex Police officers had to take time off to recover from PTSD – bringing it to a total of 297 officers falling ill.

Steve Taylor (pictured), Essex Federation Chairman, said: “Police officers are working harder, longer, with fewer rest days and less time off in between. This simply is not sustainable and it leads to increased sickness and a lack of productivity. Police officers are chasing their tails and police officers are finding it harder and harder to be positive.”

“These figures are a sad reflection of just how thin the blue line is and how we are asking our colleagues to do more and more with less and less. The force is doing a lot of work around health and wellbeing.

“Compared to some other forces were are in a positive place with the speed and nature of referrals, but more could still be done. Referrals could be quicker, types of counselling could be improved and there could be more of it.”

Nationally, the number of police officers suffering with poor mental health has been rising at an alarming rate – up 47% in the last five years.