STRESS PUTS 9,672 COPS ON SICK LIST
One in 12 is signed off
A RECORD one in 12 police officers have been signed off with stress or anxiety in the past year.
The sick leave for stress has soared by 77% as police budgets are slashed.
In the 12 months to March 2014, 5,460 officers from forces across England and Wales were too stressed to work.
But from March 2017 to this year the number soared to 9,672.
The Metropolitan Police in London was the most stressed with 1,086 officers off. And in Manches- ter, 720 police were on sick leave. Ché Donald, vice-chairman for the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “It comes as absolutely no surprise to us that sickness figures are going up.
“Officers are still under increasing demand, numbers haven’t changed and you’ve got a pressure cooker environment exacerbated by the job itself which involves exposure to traumatic incidents.”
And Mr Donald warned: “Police officers are broken. We know the causes but we are only tackling the symptoms.” In response to the figures, a spokesman for the Home Office said: “It is the responsibility of chief officers – supported by the College of Policing – to ensure the welfare of their staff.
He added: “The Government takes the issue of wellbeing very seriously and has invested in programmes over three years for a dedicated national welfare service, to directly support officers.”