Frontline police officers in Merseyside deal with some of the most frightening or traumatic incidents imaginable on a daily basis.
In recent years an officer, PC Dave Phillips, was killed in the line of duty, there have been countless serious assaults involving weapons or vehicles and officers have had to witness terrible sights. Now the force is promoting the vital work of its Emergency Incident Response Team that are first on scene after a 999 call - and what is in place to protect their mental wellbeing.
Today the force took part in the national Response Policing Wellbeing and Resilience Week of Action an initiative started by the National Police Chiefs’ Council. Merseyside Police is aiming to boost the wellbeing and resilience support services, provided throughout the year by our Occupational Health Unit, with access to a range of initiatives from the force and Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service.
Chief Superintendent Mark Wiggins, head of response and resolution at Merseyside Police, told the ECHO the force had undergone a change in culture around mental health since his first days in blue. He said: "If you go back a number of years people generally didn't talk about their mental health, and there were a number of reasons for that.
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"Over the last number of years we have definitely got better as a society at talking about mental health issues. Particularly in Merseyside Police we have invested heavily in supporting our officers in relation to any mental health related issues.
"That could be something from minor stress to having been a witness to a traumatic event. We have really, really good occupational health services. We have just recently employed a brand new force psychologist, we have a physiotherapist and a full team of Occupational Health Nurse Advisors to be able to support our staff to deal with any mental or physical health issues."
C.Supt Wiggins said officers can access a range of wellbeing initiatives specially designed for their needs. He said “I have spent my whole career in frontline operational roles at all ranks and I know just how demanding the job is. Response officers play a crucial role in protecting and serving our communities, and these officers routinely deal with some of the most challenging situations in society.
“They are frequently the first at the scene of an incident, and they are often the first and only contact that many people will ever have with the police. For most victims of crime in Merseyside, our response officers will be the first face they see in their moment of need, the first hand they hold when sad news is delivered and the first voice they hear when shock means nothing else is sinking in.
"However, there is also a lot of satisfaction from the role in helping vulnerable people, finding someone who is missing or arresting an offender caught in the act of committing an offence.
“It is only right that our officers feel supported in the work they do, and the aim of the week of action is for the work of response officers to be recognised and for them to know that their wellbeing is important and to understand how and where to seek support when it is needed.”
Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “National Response Policing Week is an important date in my calendar because it gives me the opportunity to recognise and say thank you to the officers on the frontline serving the communities of Merseyside when they are in greatest need.
“As Police Commissioner, I am fortunate to attend commendation ceremonies where I hear amazing accounts of bravery and selflessness.
“Response officers are the ones who day in, day out, face the most challenging and difficult situations – situations which often put their own safety in jeopardy and can affect their own wellbeing. They are also very often those who are first at the scene of a crime and play a vital role supporting people when they are at their most vulnerable and traumatised.
“This can take a toll on the person wearing that uniform, and it is critical that while we appreciate the amazing work they do, we make sure they have the support they need to do this incredibly demanding job.”
On Thursday 16 June, follow the Merseyside Police social media channels to watch a video series named “The Ride-along”, which will provide a fascinating insight into the experiences of our response officers.
The videos will be shared on Twitter at @MerseyPolice, Facebook at /MerseyPolice and Instagram at @merseysidepolice. If you miss it on Thursday, you’ll find the content on our YouTube channel at /MerseysidePolice on Friday 17 June.
