Why is it always our police officers who are vilified and abused daily?

The sad increase of PTSD and CPTSD across police staff in the UK.

We can all acknowledge that policing is by far one of the most stressful jobs in our society today. It seems, especially of late that numerous members of our society spend an incessant amount of time knocking police officers and more importantly it appears that so many people according to their own assumptions, can do the role of a police officer better than the actual trained officers do. Yet spending a shift with frontline response officers will actually demonstrate a reality that really is inconceivable for most of us.

The high level of officers leaving a job they love, is sad to see. Most joined to make a difference and after years of undertaking a job that leaves many mental scars, officers are now hitting the eject button to get their life back.

It is a job where dealing with trauma is sadly expected. It is a job where developing trauma is also predicted after years of seeing the worst aspects of humanity and our ever decaying society.

A report written in 2022 states ‘recent publications demonstrate a worryingly high rate of PTSD and CPTSD in serving police officers in the UK of the order of 20%’.

The question to ask now is-are the working conditions police officers currently have contributing to this high level of PTSD and CPTSD?

If we commence with the fact that so many police stations have been closed down due to financial constraints leaving officers to start work where they can, that already puts us on a back foot.

We then come across the issue of chronic short staffing across the tri borough Basic Command Units, with Sergeants facing impossible situations, posts left unfilled and officers having to do multiple roles.

Shifts are long and heavy and it is here that officers will encounter traumatic experiences.

We have record breaking high levels of calls to people needing mental health assistance, this has increased with the cost of living crisis hitting hard. Officers are always there and the ones to respond when people need help. Let’s face it, who else is there to support the public? Mental health workers are struggling and the waiting list to access mental health support is long. The waiting time for an ambulance is long and to visit Accident and Emergency means a 24 hour wait.

There is also the additional factor of violent crime. Officers not only dealing with violent criminals on our streets daily, but also being the first responders to stabbings where they frequently witness children lose their life to the knife. A memory that they will carry with them.

The possible traumatic events encountered by officers are long and heartbreaking.

We all know that PTSD arises when a person can not make sense of the traumatic incident they have just experienced. The mind is not able to process what it has just witnessed and if it is not given time to make sense of it, the negative impact remains. Unfortunately the biggest issue here is the fact that officers cannot go back and start to debrief, but often have to move on to another job which then enhances the trauma.

‘Instead of taking time to think through and discuss a traumatic incident or job, police personnel are being required to move straight on to the next incoming task.’

Herein lies the biggest problem and where the trauma thrives. Officers are expected to attend job after job with very little respite and do not have the opportunity to mentally process what they have experienced as they run to another person in need.

Another factor that needs to be addressed is that our police officers are the most vilified individuals possible. Their criticism is daily and their complainers are relentless. Whilst we clap (and not pay) our NHS staff, we actively assault and abuse both physically and mentally our police officers. No matter what goes wrong, somehow it is always our bobbies on the beat that get the flack.

It is important to remember that it is our frontline officers that come when we dial 999, it is our frontline officers that have poor working facilities such a no canteen or toilets and can’t even buy a sandwich without getting abuse and ultimately it is these officers who will put their own life at risk to save ours.

The high levels of PTSD and CPTSD amongst our police staff needs to be addressed. Our police services need proper funding, our police officers deserve better working conditions and the ability to have good well being services.

For all the very active keyboard warriors waiting to pounce, before you do, spend time with your local officers and see the reality they face. It will frighten you off you keyboard for a long period of time.

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