STEP: Conduct Investigations Can Have A Devastating Ripple Effect on Police Officers

Hampshire Police Federation Chair Spencer Wragg talks about how officers who are subject to misconduct proceedings can struggle with poor mental health and suicidal thoughts

As part of the STEP (Suicide Trauma Education Prevention) campaign, we need to talk about the fact that a disproportionate number of police officers who take their own lives are subject to misconduct proceedings at the time.

As I’ve mentioned before, the reasons for suicide are complex, but officers who are under investigation often suffer from being isolated from friends and colleagues, regardless of their innocence or guilt.

I’m not saying that officers shouldn’t be investigated or held to account, but there needs to be better support for our colleagues when they are in this situation.

Officers under investigation are taken away from their workplace, and it feels like their identity is being taken away, because a lot of their support network consists of their colleagues.

We have to wrap welfare around an officer when they’re being investigated, because they’re often on their own at a time when they need the most support. Line managers and welfare support officers often do what they can but the Regulation system needs to be delivered with empathy and compassion.

We all know that too many investigations last far too long – some take years.

The Federation, through its Time Limits campaign, have tried to push back against that. Prolonged investigations mean uncertainty for officers and their families, and they have a huge impact on mental health.

And of course, on top of all the anxiety that an investigation brings, there may be stress at home. In fact, if officers are subject to investigation, that will increase the stress at home. It is almost certain that those officers will also have attended suicides during their career, and as I wrote about previously, they know the methodology of suicide.

As a local Federation we also provide support to officers who are either victims or witnesses of the matters being investigated as well, which again is a stressful and uncertain time, but just as important.

I’ve spoken before about how I got close to suicide. Personally, when things were at their worst and I was contemplating taking my own life, the absolutely illogical became logical and almost made sense. We need to prevent that.

As I said, I’m not arguing against investigations, but there needs to be more sensitivity and proportionality; for instance, we know of a colleague who took his own life whilst under investigation misconduct for an alleged Covid breach in 2021. 

My advice to colleagues who are currently under investigation is to talk to your friends, family, colleagues or the Federation about how you’re feeling, what you need and what support you need to access. Reach out for support with your mental health and don’t suffer in silence.

When you’re under investigation, you’re often told that you can’t talk about the allegation itself, but you don’t need to talk about that. Forces should help officers understand what they can and can’t talk about, because trying to deal with all of these things on your own is not helping anyone. 

Within Hampshire we now have an employee support line that will support officers and staff who are subject to misconduct in whatever guise, they won’t discuss the case but they will discuss the feelings, the ideation and hopefully be a support in times of crisis. However sometimes paranoia sets in, and officers feel that they can’t say anything at all for fear of further investigation.

Between 2011 and 2022, there were 242 suicides of current police officers and PCSOs in England and Wales. More recently – from 2021 to 2024 – an estimated 80 former and current police officers took their own lives.

The STEP campaign is calling for the practical step of mandatory TRiM (Trauma Risk Management) sessions for every police officer who attends a suicide. It is also urging police officers and police staff who are struggling with their mental health to seek help and support.

It is important for officers who are struggling to know they are not alone, and that there are people there to help.

I would encourage everyone to download the Stay Alive App from the Grassroots suicide prevention campaign https://prevent-suicide.org.uk/stay-alive-app-grassroots-suicide-prevention/about-stay-alive.

This can help both you in times of crisis but also provide guidance on how to help a friend, colleague or stranger in times of need.

Other help includes, for immediacy:

The Thin Blue Line: visit www.thinbluelineuk.org.uk

and Samaritans: call 116 123

Officers can also access the support offered by charities and organisations including Flint House, Police Treatment Centres, PTSD 999, The Ben Fund and Oscar Kilo.