Wellbeing

ANALYSIS: Transform Justice Research and Policy Lead Fionnuala Ratcliffe examines research carried out by serving Police Sergeant Dr Lee Johnson into the nature and extent of the police ‘bravado’ culture.

OPINION: In his last article before retiring from Sussex Police (and from his role as President of the Disabled Police Association) next month, Superintendent Simon Nelson urges colleagues to continue supporting diversity in policing and fulfil the potential of creating a better history for others.

OPINION: As the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary, Association President Paul Fotheringham looks back at how the organisation was formed, its efforts to be a positive voice in support of its members over the past seven decades, and the challenges it continues to face today and into the future.

FEATURE: Leading police researcher Professor Tom Kirchmaier recently urged police chiefs to “rethink” their stance on double crewing to protect officers and provide a better public service, while improving response times to have a “significant” impact on detection and clearance rates, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

INTERVIEW: Challenges around recruitment and workforce strength are affecting policing around the world, but there’s often less focus on keeping hold of good officers; Greater Manchester Police Chief Inspector Mike Russell spoke to Policing Insight’s Keith Potter about the force’s new ‘Stay Interview’ initiative which has significantly improved retention rates as well as improving the support available to officers.

INTERVIEW: When the UK Disabled Police Association (DPA) was launched 10 years ago, disability was still not considered a protected characteristic in policing; Supt Simon Nelson, who steps down as President of the DPA after eight years in post when he retires from policing next month, believes the situation has now significantly improved – but as he explained to Policing Insight Contributing Editor Tina Orr Munro, there’s still much more to be done.

FEATURE: While the latest workplace survey of New Zealand Police’s officers and staff has found that most still feel the force is a great place to work, more than a third having experienced bullying or harassment in the past year – prompting Commissioner Andrew Coster to call for a ‘reset’ of the working environment after two years of unprecedented Covid challenges, as Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.

INTERVIEW: The culture of policing continues to be a matter of international discussion, and global law enforcement leaders gathered in Dublin over the summer to move the debate forward; An Garda Síochána Deputy Commissioner Shawna Coxon spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about the issues discussed in Dublin, and how they will feed into efforts to address cultural change, starting with a leaders workshop at this weekend’s International Association of Chiefs of Police conference.

FEATURE: When Wisconsin police officer Adam Meyers was involved in the fatal shooting of an armed suspect, the resulting mental health challenges he faced – and the associated stigma – led him into a downward spiral of poor coping mechanisms and suicidal thoughts; now he’s using his own experiences to inspire other struggling officers to speak out and seek help, and urging leaders and law enforcement agencies to address the mental health stigma.

INTERVIEW: Often a target narcotic for law enforcement, MDMA is among a number of psychedelic drugs increasingly being used to treat US police officers and other first responders suffering from PTSD; Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend spoke to Lt Sarko Gergerian – a qualified psychotherapist and advocate of the approach – about his own experiences of receiving MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, which featured in a recent Netflix documentary.

INNOVATION: The latest cohort of recruits to Merseyside Police will be wearing wrist bands that monitor their stress and strain levels as well as sleep patterns, as part of a six-month pilot project focusing on police welfare; Dr Carol Cox, Head of Policing at Liverpool John Moores University, is leading the research team, and spoke to Policing Insight’s Keith Potter about the aims of the pilot, overcoming the associated challenges, and the potential of wearable technology going forwards.

FEATURE: Improving mental health and wellbeing for police, as well as the response to those in mental health crisis, is a key concern for law enforcement globally; Jacqueline Durand, Acting Director (Strategy) at the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA), looks at what is being done in both countries to support officers, as well as efforts to respond collaboratively with paramedics and mental health to those community members in crisis.

INTERVIEW: A recent survey highlighted issues around harassment and a “toxic” working environment for some members of the Toronto Police Service, as well as opportunities to address those issues and rebuild trust within the organisation; Toronto Police Association President Jon Reid spoke to Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons about the findings of the survey, the challenges for both uniform and civilian staff, and the importance of creating a safe and comfortable workplace.

INTERVIEW: The Capitol Building riots on 6 January 2021 were a dark day for US politics and an incredibly difficult one for policing, especially the officers of the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department; Department Chief Robert Contee spoke to Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend about the continuing impact of the insurrection, his pride and passion for his role, and the ongoing challenges of policing America’s capital city.

OPINION: With policing seemingly under continuous pressure – financial, political and public – it’s clear that to deliver the best possible service, parts of the job need rethinking, and others a radical overhaul; Iain Donnelly, a former officer and now author, podcaster and policing technical consultant, suggests 10 “relatively quick” fixes which also highlight the need for more common sense in UK policing, especially among senior leaders.

FEATURE: A new mental health project launched by Cambridgeshire Constabulary to identify frontline detectives suffering from compassion fatigue has found that significant numbers are at ‘high risk’ and will be offered tailored support and treatment, as Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: The ground-breaking Operation Soteria-Bluestone initiative seeks to improve the investigation of rape and serious sexual offences, and has highlighted the impact on those investigating such cases; Research Fellows Richard Harding and Dr Arun Sondhi, and Dr Emma Williams (Director of Research and Strategic Partnerships), of the Open University’s Centre for Policing Research and Learning, look at the early findings in relation to learning, wellbeing and officer burnout, and the important role of the organisational environment.

OPINION: Policing is well aware of the performance and procedural justice scrutiny it faces in its external relationships; but Detective Chief Inspector Alisa Wilson of Lancashire Constabulary, who retires from policing this week after 21 years in the service, believes that a stronger leadership commitment to wellbeing and internal procedural justice, reinforced by the new Police Covenant, could truly change policing culture.

INTERVIEW: Trauma-informed leadership (TIL) builds on a foundation of recognizing and understanding the mental and emotional scars and challenges that officers may be experiencing; Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend spoke to law enforcement psychologist Dr David Black about the potential benefits of TIL, the risks of generational trauma, and how giving leaders the opportunity to share stories can have a positive impact on them and their staff.

OPINION: The wellbeing of police officers and staff has been a growing cause for concern in the wake of a series of challenges, including austerity cuts putting pressure on police numbers, and the impact of Covid on workloads, welfare, and the relationship with the public; James Scott, CEO & Co-Founder of the Thrive app, believes technology could and should play a greater role in the wellbeing and engagement of officers and staff.

FEATURE: Police officers in the US are at higher risk of suicide than any other profession, but despite an increase in wellbeing programs across policing, evidence-based, data-driven approaches to tackle the issue and provide support are in short supply; the launch of the Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection could be about to change that, as Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend reports.

FEATURE: Almost a third of women experiencing the menopause consider quitting their jobs because of the severity of their symptoms, yet employers including police forces have been slow to offer support and advice; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons looks at the efforts within Thames Valley Police to address those issues and ensure that its growing female workforce have the support they need.

INTERVIEW: In the second part of his interview with Policing Insight, Superintendents’ Association President Paul Fotheringham spoke to Keith Potter about the structural and operational challenges facing the rank, the pressures on measuring and improving performance, and the importance of focusing on wellbeing and good leadership.

OPINION: Recent campaigns have led to longer sentences for those who assault emergency services workers, but a new report from Transform Justice analyses why such sanctions are not working; Transform Justice Director Penelope Gibbs believes better support for staff, improved training and alternative responses to those in mental health crisis may be more effective.