Stay Alive App On All Sussex Police Phones

9 January 2026

Sussex Police officers and staff who are worried about their mental health or that of their colleagues are reminded that there is a vital suicide-prevention app on their work phones.

Raffaele Cioffi, Chair of Sussex Police Federation, explained that the Stay Alive app provides tailored information to people in crisis, as well as guidance for helping colleagues, friends or family members at risk of suicide.

In November, the national Federation conference heard there were at least 56 police officer suicides between 2021 and 2024, with 34 of these officers being under investigation at the time of their death. Additionally, 120 officers reported suicidal thoughts or attempts during the same period, with 71 also under investigation. The true figures are likely to be higher, as forces aren’t mandated to record police suicides.

At the conference, Hampshire Police Federation Chair Spencer Wragg spoke about the campaign he founded, STEP (Suicide Trauma Education Prevention), and the importance of officers being able to access the Stay Alive app, developed by the charity Grassroots Suicide Prevention.

Raffaele said: “This vital app is available on Sussex Police and Surrey Police work phones, but it's also available to download for free on your personal mobile phone, and I’d encourage people to do that too.

“It is a free app and it's provided by a Brighton-based charity that highlights the risks, behavioural traits and warning signs of people who are on the brink of taking their own lives. The app is designed to allow people who feel that way to seek support and be signposted to appropriate help. It is a mechanism to get people the support they need, quickly, in order to stay alive.”

Raffaele continued: “This time of year can be exceptionally difficult. Everyone's personal circumstances are different, and people might have gone through things over the Christmas period that they may need to talk about. So this is a reminder that the app is there to help you, it's free to download if you want to get it on your personal phone, and it's also accessible on your work phones during your working day.

“And if you need to reach out to other people, please talk to your local Federation Rep or your managers, because this is so important.”

The Stay Alive app is already tried and tested, as the number-one suicide prevention app in the UK, helping support countless people across the country. Officers who are struggling should know that they are not alone, and that there are people there to help. This includes, for immediacy: the Samaritans: call 116 123; Oscar Kilo’s Mental Health Crisis Line: call 0300 131 2789.