Mandatory Trauma Tracking Must Lead To More Support

18 May 2026

“Tracking trauma is only of genuine value if there are measures in place to provide effective support to those who put their lives on the line every day,” Cumbria Police Federation has said.

The Home Office’s recent policing white paper announced that trauma-monitoring systems will become mandatory across all forces, to ensure the mental toll caused by exposure to death, abuse and neglect is recorded.

Trauma trackers seek to intervene before a psychological breakdown occurs. They function by scanning the force’s crime recording systems and highlighting “red flag” incidents such as fatal road traffic collisions, child sexual abuse and sudden deaths.

Cumbria Police already tracks trauma, but Federation Chair Ed Russell said a national best-practice framework for support was still needed.

Ed said: “The use of trauma trackers to monitor the welfare of officers is a positive step in modern policing. With increasing demand and complexity, and officer numbers flagging in the face of population rises, police officers have never been busier, and never more under pressure.

“I’ve spoken to officers who have gone from one traumatic incident to the next – the worst imaginable situations of death, abuse and violence – only to get up again the next day, pull on their boots and do it all over again.

“Police officers are mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and there is a limit on the amount of trauma anyone can handle. Efforts to identify this before it leads to significant harm are not only welcomed, they are the only conscionable thing to do.”

Ed added: “Cumbria Police has been conducting trauma-tracking for some time, and our Occupational Health services remain among the best in the country, but a national best-practice framework for support is still needed. Tracking trauma is only of genuine value if there are measures in place to manage the harm and provide effective operational help and support to those who put their lives on the line every day.”