Victoria Police Officer Committed Suicide

Suicide of young constable forces Victoria Police to focus on trauma
ABC Australia
Rachael Brown
October 13, 2015

ELEANOR HALL: Lets go now to Victoria where the Police service has announced that it will develop a strategy to deal with suicides in the workplace.

The move comes a day after a senior constable took her own life at work.

The mental health forum, Beyond Blue, says a service needs to be developed for all employees who are confronted with disaster and death as part of their jobs and whose duties can haunt them.

In Melbourne, Rachael Brown reports.

RACHAEL BROWN: A leading senior constable took her own life at work yesterday at the Seaford Multi-Disciplinary Centre, south east of Melbourne.

The Police Association Secretary, Ron Iddles, says the officer used her own gun.

RON IDDLES: Any incident like this that takes place likes this amongst work colleagues is very traumatic for them and those also who are suffering might be depression or anxiety need to reach out to your friends and get professional help.

RACHAEL BROWN: Mr Iddles admits policing is getting more difficult, so Victoria's Chief Commissioner will be reviewing police suicides around Australia to help develop prevention strategies

RON IDDLES: Claims in relation to mental illness, depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress have risen. We know that the pressures of the job around family violence, ice, mental illness to some extent sometimes cause secondary trauma, so they are all issue that would have to be looked at.

RACHAEL BROWN: The suicide rate for police officers is above that of the general population.
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