Mandatory recording of police suicides follows Federation campaign

17 April 2026

A successful campaign by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has helped lead to the mandatory recording of police officer suicides and attempted suicides.

The change agreed by National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has been welcomed by the chair of Dyfed Powys Police Federation Delme Rees.

Delme describing the change as ‘long-overdue’.

He said: “Policing has talked about wellbeing for years, but without consistent national data on officer suicides we have never had the full picture.

Recording suicides

“Recording suicides and attempted is a crucial step towards recognising the scale of the issue and preventing future tragedies.

“I flagged this issue with our local MPs during a recent briefing in Westminster hosted by myself, my colleagues from the three other Welsh Police Federations and PFEW.

“I’m really pleased that our campaigning has made a big difference on this vital issue, that our collective voices are being heard, and that important changes are being made as a result.”

The change follows growing national concern after the death of Sergeant Ben Websdale, after the coroner at his inquest, Penelope Schofield, published a report calling on forces to record officer suicides.

PFEW has been calling for the mandatory recording of police suicides and attempted suicides after figures revealed that between 2022 and 2025, at least 70 serving officers are known to have died by suicide.

Now the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has agreed to make recording of suicides mandatory and to introduce a trauma support system, annual psychological assessments, and training, according to a report in the Mirror.

Delme said: “Our members regularly deal with traumatic incidents, relentless workloads and public scrutiny, often while facing uncertainty around pay, conditions and investigations.

“The cumulative impact cannot be underestimated. Proper recording will allow policing to move from reacting to crises to preventing them.”

Misconduct

PFEW has also highlighted strong links between officer suicides and misconduct investigations.

The Federation found that 47 of the 70 suicides involved officers under misconduct or criminal investigation, with 173 of 236 attempted suicides also linked to officers under investigation.

It has led the Federation to strengthen its campaign for a 12-month limit on disciplinary investigations.

Delme said: “We cannot ignore the human cost when investigations last for years.

Vulnerable

“The accountability of officers matters, but so does fairness and welfare. Setting clear time limits and improving support systems will help protect officers when they are at their most vulnerable.”

Delme said that the change in recording officer suicides must represent ‘the start of meaningful change’.

“This decision shows what our collective voices can achieve,” he said. “Now policing must build on it because changes in reporting, reducing the length of disciplinary investigations, and better welfare provision will save lives.”

For urgent mental health help or immediate support, please contact:

• Samaritans: 116 123
• Oscar Kilo’s Mental Health Crisis Line: 0300 131 2789

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