Fed's six-point plan to tackle police suicides

2 March 2026

North Yorkshire Police Federation secretary Tony Barnes says lengthy police conduct investigations can have a ‘devastating impact’ on officers’ mental health.

Tony called for the process, which can take years to complete, to be sped up for the benefit of officers and complainants.

The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has established a ‘shocking’ link between suicide and police misconduct investigations.

PFEW data shows more than 100 police officers and staff have died by suicide between 2022 and 2025. At least 70 police officers have died during that time, and there have been more than 200 attempted suicides.

It said that 47 of the 70 suicides and 173 of the 236 attempted suicides are attributable to officers involved in misconduct or criminal investigations against them.

Six-point plan

Tony has backed PFEW’s six-point plan to end the ‘silent crisis’ of police suicides, which includes speeding up disciplinary investigations into police officers.

He said: “The public is right to expect officers to be held to the highest of standards, but there needs to be better support for those officers if they find themselves under investigation.

“They will often feel alone and isolated while being under investigation, and it can put a huge strain on the individual officer and on their personal life.

“Drawn-out investigations create uncertainty for them about their future and, as PFEW’s data shows, can have a devastating impact on their mental health.

“Clear time limits would remove some of that uncertainty and strain on officers and their families.”

PFEW’s six-point plan also calls for:

Recording and reporting all suicides and attempted suicides, backed by law.
Treating suicide as a work-related incident under Health and Safety legislation.
National rollout of the STEP (Suicide Trauma Education Prevention) initiative, including mandatory TRiM support and the Stay Alive app.
Reforming the coronial system to reflect policing-specific risk factors.
Fully funding the Police Covenant to support officer welfare and wellbeing.

Emotional health

Tony said: “Being a police officer is unique. The nature of the job regularly exposes officers to traumatic situations that can stay with them and impact their mental and emotional health.

“It can be easy for people's lives to fall apart and quite quickly as well. It just needs that one domino to knock it all down.

“We need the welfare and wellbeing support in place for officers and staff, should that ever happen, which is why PFEW’s six-point plan is so important.

“No officer should feel like they’re alone.

“If you’re struggling, please reach out to a Federation rep, your manager, or a trusted colleague.”