The Police Federation of England and Wales is lobbying for the recording of suicides and attempted suicides to be made mandatory by law.
In a hard-hitting feature aired this week on Channel 4 News, it tragically revealed at least 100 police officers and staff have taken their own lives in three years.
PFEW has worked closely with its producer over the past few weeks to highlight the devastating impact of officers taking their own lives and what must urgently change.
Some 46 serving police officers and a further 20 police staff died by suicide between January 2022 and May 2025, a Freedom of Information request submitted by Channel 4 News to the National Police Chiefs’ Council revealed.
An estimated 26 former police officers and eight ex-police staff are also known to have taken their own lives during that period - bringing the total to at least 100 deaths across the three-year period.
PFEW is devising a clause to be included in the Crime and Policing Bill currently in the House of Lords.
Additionally, it is pressing for a change in legislation so police officer deaths by suicide and attempted deaths by suicide are included in the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR). It would be a vital step towards acknowledging and addressing this devastating issue that affects so many lives.
Suicides are currently not reportable because they are not classified as an accident. Death by suicide is not seen as something the employer could have prevented. However, the lack of reporting and investigation means that patterns aren’t noticed.
Inconsistent data collection methods also mean these figures are inaccurate and are likely to be much higher.
Wellbeing standards across the 43 forces are also postcode lottery for police officers currently and a set of minimum standards must be made mandatory, rather than guidance.
This includes better training for line managers and compulsory psychological risk assessments for frontline roles.
PFEW Wellbeing Lead Paul Williams said: "Behind each mental health condition is an officer enduring immense trauma. It affects not just them, but their families, relationships and careers – and it can be devastating.
“Over a career, a police officer may experience 400–600 traumatic incidents, compared with just a handful for most civilians. Policing now has the highest rates of mental health-related sickness absence of any profession. This shows how trauma accumulates over months and years if left unaddressed.
“We are facing a legacy of poor mental health because problems are not tackled early, and there is no consistent infrastructure in policing to prevent harm. Prevention is always better than cure.
“The NHS is under huge strain, so access to counselling is very limited. Officers are leaving the service because of unaddressed mental health issues. As part of our ‘Copped Enough’ campaign, we are not only pressing for fair pay but also for stronger mental health support to be made available across all forces.
“It is the responsibility of all chief constables to ensure welfare provisions are met.”
Our own figures show more than half of officers who had died by suicide since 2022 were under investigation, a red flag which clearly demonstrates why all chief constables should be focusing on adopting standardised risk assessments and stronger welfare support.
PFEW Deputy National Secretary and Conduct and Performance Lead Mel Warnes said: "One of the most stressful periods in an officer’s career can be going through misconduct or performance proceedings.
“We have seen officers, and their families placed in limbo for years while investigations drag on. The damage to their mental and physical health is profound – and it continues long after the case has concluded.
“Our Freedom of Information requests show that more than half of officers who died by suicide, or attempted suicide, were under investigation at the time. This is a tragedy that policing must confront.
“Yet forces have no legal responsibility to record these deaths, let alone prevent them. That has to change.
“We need stronger, standardised welfare and risk assessments from day one of an investigation, continuing right through to after the outcome. It is unacceptable the level of care an officer receives depends on which force employs them.
“Those who volunteer as welfare officers also need proper training and continuous professional development in areas such as mental health first aid and trauma management. Officers deserve no less.
“Whether it is the cumulative toll of trauma or the stress of prolonged investigations, too many officers are being failed. PFEW will continue to press for mandatory standards, stronger support, and real change to protect the protectors.”
Read the full Channel 4 News feature here or watch the televised report below.
