Police and mental health

Most of the time, we picture police officers dealing with people in emotional distress. But what happens when the officers themselves suffer from depression, emotional trauma, and thoughts of suicide?

Just as things are changing outside the walls of police stations, there’s a new drive within police departments across Canada, to guard the mental health of front line officers.
Calgary is the leader in this country — with a department that features everything from a full time psychologist — to a naturopath, and yoga instructor. Most police departments are not even close to that — but they are pushing for change.

It’s easy to lose sight of the truth, in the whirl of lights and sirens — and demands of the job.

Hamilton Police Chief Glenn de Caire: “Our people are professionals. And, they’re just regular people. They have the ups and downs just like everybody else.”

But not everybody works with a gun. Or sees heartbreak, and tragedy, every day. Or juggles life and death as part of the routine. Sometimes — it’s hard to forget.

Deputy Chief Bill Moore of the Halifax Police service is trying to change things. He is at this Toronto conference — to find new ways to help his police officers battle emotional distress — depression — and post-traumatic stress. It’s not a simple task: “When I joined 28 years ago — when a bad thing happened they literally gave you a bottle and told you to go take care of yourself. We know — that’s not the right way to do it. There is a public stigma in regard to a mental illness — well — that doesn’t stop at the doors of a police station.”

For some police officers the fear of that stigma is so great — that suicide seems the only option. Chief de Caire said: “Our organization was dramatically impacted in December.”

The Hamilton Police service has not been immune from tragedy — but Chief Glenn De Caire is determined to bring change: “We’re about to embark on a committee to review our curent practices.”

The sharp sorrow of recent trauma has made it clear — that existing employee assistance programs, are not enough: “We have been talking — never done before — and that’s important.”

And Bill Moore says — it’s also important for senior officers to build trust, and change the culture of fear in their own organizations: “Am I going to be labelled? Is it going to hurt my career? Those are organizational pieces that the organization has to come out and say “No. We want you to be healthy.”

Chief de Caire: “If you broke your arm — it goes in a cast for 6 weeks. You get physio. You go back to work. So, if you have an illness that affects the mind — why should we treat it any differently?”

The barrier to progress in this effort — may be the cost. The program run by Calgary, is not cheap. Hard decisions on budgets will have to be made — and police services may have to choose between weapons for the street — or weapons to help their own officers cope with the every day stress of the job.