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Question and Answer Tracking Details

6569 - SUICIDE RATES IN THE NSW POLICE FORCE

Hornery, Sonia to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for Sport and Recreation, and Minister Assisting the Premier on Western Sydney
  1. How many police officers in New South Wales took their own lives in the period from:
    1. October 2013 to October 2014; and
    2. October 2012 to October 2013?
  2. What additional support is being implemented to support New South Wales police officers suffering from mental health disorders and their families?
Answer -

I am advised that the NSW Police Force now has over 79 activities and initiatives in place to promote wellbeing and prevent injury, improve injury management, and rehabilitate and redeploy injured officers.

Specific programs focused on preventing and supporting officers with Post-traumatic stress disorder include:

  • Mental Health Intervention Team.
  • 24 hour trauma support and a peer support program managed by a psychologist.
  • Beyond Blue mental health training.
  • The NSW Police Force and the NSW Police Association jointly sponsored the recent [late October and early November 2014] speaking tour on "Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement" by Dr Gilmartin.
  • Statewide leadership training for supervisors on injury management, prevention and support.
  • Regular programs such as RU OK Day and Mental Health Month.
  • Monitoring traumatic incidents at Region, Local Area Command, rank and officer level.
  • Implementation of recommendations from project evaluations, such as expanding Wellcheck.
  • Mobile nursing services, physiotherapy services and follow up fitness programs.
  • New deployment guidelines and psychological job analysis tools for injured officers.

We have also formed the Self-Harm Prevention Partnership, with members representing the NSW Police Force, the Police Association of NSW, the NSW Coroner, and Ministry for Police and Emergency Services.

The group is examining the causes of death, including suicide, of serving and former police officers. This work will help us get the fullest picture possible of the numbers affected, triggers for suicide and preventative strategies to be adopted.

Question asked on 18 November 2014 (session 55-2) and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 19
Answer received on 5 January 2015 and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 23

The Parliament of New South Wales acknowledges and respects the traditional lands of all Aboriginal people, and pays respects to all Elders past and present. We acknowledge the Gadigal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which the Parliament of New South Wales stands.