NI Police 'Require Assistance to Address Ongoing Trauma'

A past cop has talked about the deep hurt from seeing sad events, noting that such events often stick with many cops "forever."


Data from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, also showed more cops are taking breaks for anxiety, depression, and PTSD than they did five years back.


The Police Federation of Northern Ireland spoke of how officers were "hurting" due to not enough resources. Ms. McLaren, a councillor who worked in the PSNI for 18 years, shared that most officers "all have one or two events that stick with them forever." "I knew a colleague who was on the murder squad for 30 years, and he was never shaken, no matter how bad the scene was." Only when his kids grew to be the age of those victims did it really hit him hard."


Ms. McLaren said that mental well-being has always been a big issue in their line of work, but only recently have thoughts on getting help changed. "In the past, especially during the Troubles, you didn't take time off for mental issues," she noted. "You might have gotten a day, and your friends gave you a bottle of whiskey." Ms. McLaren noted that some coworkers avoid talking about how deep their issues are due to worries about their work life.


More cops have started to miss work because of their mental troubles. Many of them have left the job right after such breaks.


Ms. McLaren noted officers now talk more about their mental issues, but the team that helps them isn't big enough for everyone. "Our help team can't act fast in crises," she said. "They suffer bad dreams, can't sleep, and feel very worried or sad—and they look for help but might wait half a year for it."


She also said more people look for private care, but it's not always good enough. Being a cop and seeing harsh events makes it hard. "You must keep secrets, so you can't talk about the bad things you see," she explained. "You can't share it with your family at home."


Ms. McLaren has been pushing for early help. "Give those who see bad things some help right then to keep them okay so they can keep working," she said.


The head of the Police Federation of Northern Ireland, Liam Kelly, said the new numbers did not shock him. "Our team is hurting from a mix of mild to harsh long-run issues because we lack both enough help and enough people to give the needed support," he said.


Talking to the BBC's Sunday Politics about the money for all police work, Mr. Kelly said officers are stretched thin. "Our team is tired. They have more work; they're slipping up. Stuff that should be done isn't done. And if we don't have the people's trust in our police work, we are in a very bad spot."