Hertfordshire Police Federation calls for mandatory recording of police suicides

19 January 2026

Hertfordshire Police Federation is urging that all police forces be legally required to record every suicide and attempted suicide among officers and staff, warning that without mandatory data, the true scale of the crisis remains hidden.

Figures released today by the Police Federation for England and Wales (PFEW) on Blue Monday (19 January) show that between 2022 and 2025, more than 100 officers and staff are known to have died by suicide, including at least 70 serving officers. In the same period, over 200 attempted suicides were recorded.

But these figures are almost certainly an underestimation. Currently, there is no legal requirement for forces to record suicides or attempted suicides, meaning vital information is missing.

Without this data, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not classify policing as an occupation at risk, and the service cannot fully understand or address the problem.

Suicides

Luke Mitchell, chair of Hertfordshire Police Federation, said: “Mandatory recording is not about numbers - it’s about saving lives and preventing more suicides from taking place.

“Until every suicide and attempted suicide is properly recorded, the true scale of this crisis will remain hidden, and policing cannot take the action needed to protect its workforce.”

Analysis by PFEW also reveals a worrying link between officer suicides and misconduct investigations.

Of the 70 officer suicides recorded between 2022 and 2025, 47 involved officers who were under investigation for misconduct or criminal matters. Similarly, 173 of 236 attempted suicides involved officers under investigation. In 2025 alone, 12 of the 13 known officer suicides involved people facing investigation.

Luke added: “This shows how critical it is to record and understand the circumstances around every suicide. Without proper data, we cannot identify risk factors, reform processes, or provide the support officers desperately need.”

Hertfordshire Police Federation supports PFEW’s six-point plan to tackle the crisis, with mandatory recording at its core. Key measures include:

Chief Constables must begin recording and reporting all suicides and attempted suicides, with this set out in law, supporting Lord Bailey’s amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill.
Police conduct regulations should mandate a 12-month limit for disciplinary investigations, whether carried out by the IOPC or forces.
Health and Safety legislation must treat police suicide as a work-related incident, reportable under RIDDOR.
STEP (Suicide Trauma Education Prevention), the Federation’s national initiative, should be rolled out across all forces. This includes mandatory TRiM (Trauma Risk Management) support for officers attending suicides and use of the Stay Alive app.
The coronial system should recognise the unique pressures of policing and ensure suicide prevention is addressed nationally, not piecemeal through individual inquests.
The Police Covenant should be fully funded to provide welfare and wellbeing support on par with the Armed Forces Covenant.

“Mandatory recording is the first and most urgent step,” Luke said, ending: “We cannot fix what we do not measure.

“Police officers face unique pressures every day, and we owe it to them to fully understand the risks they face and provide the support needed to prevent these tragedies.”