Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
License needed for work use Register

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Review Of Wellbeing Strategy Needed As Police Recruitment Declines; Suicides Continue

Hatikvah Blue Hope Foundation is gravely concerned following the suicide of another serving police officer in the past month, and we extend our deepest sympathy to the grieving family.

This tragedy comes as NZ Police is seeing a staggering 48.5% decline in recruitment applications over the past four years (as reported by AM).

These crises demonstrate the need for urgency in reevaluating how we support our police personnel.

Data obtained under the Official Information highlights a shrinking interest in law enforcement careers, with new applications falling from 7973 in 2019 to 4108 last year.

Government plans to recruit 1800 new officers by this year have been stymied, while the Police Association points to increased dangers for frontline officers as a deterrent to recruitment.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

But that is not the only driver of decreasing recruitment.

The Foundation has repeatedly highlighted the extensive but unacknowledged issue of PTSD affecting serving and retired officers.

This hidden crisis can have disastrous consequences, including suicide. Sadly, the Coroners Act hinders the effectiveness of formal probes in these tragedies, obstructing health and safety-centric police bosses from identifying root causes.

The recruitment struggle prompts a critical question: Isn't it both economically sound and morally imperative to invest in the well-being of our existing officers?

By aligning with international safety protocols such as ISO 45003, a set of international guidelines designed to help organisations improve their employees' mental well-being and psychological safety and adopting effective case management, we can notably improve the quality of life for our officers.

Police Association president Chris Cahill acknowledges the global nature of the recruitment crisis, and the Foundation argues New Zealand can set a precedent by implementing high-quality occupational health measures tailored for the police service.

The Foundation advocates a move away from a singular focus on recruitment towards an encompassing plan centred on current police officer welfare. By tirelessly promoting best practices in occupational health, raising awareness of PTSD, and striving for suicide prevention, we aim to improve police worker rights and fortify the service.

Swift action from the government and associated entities is now more crucial than ever.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines

Gordon Campbell: On The Government’s Smokefree Laws Debacle

The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out - for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable view is that the government was being deliberately misleading. Are we to think Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is a fool, or a liar? It seems rather early on in his term of office to be facing that unpleasant choice. Yet when Luxon (and senior MP Chris Bishop) tried to defend the indefensible with the same wildly inaccurate claim, there are not a lot of positive explanations left on the table.... More


 
 
Public Housing Futures: Christmas Comes Early For Landlords

New CTU analysis of the National & ACT coalition agreement has shown the cost of returning interest deductibility to landlords is an extra $900M on top of National’s original proposal. This is because it is going to be implemented earlier and faster, including retrospective rebates from April 2023. More


Green Party: Petition To Save Oil & Gas Ban

“The new Government’s plan to expand oil and gas exploration is as dangerous as it is unscientific. Whatever you think about the new government, there is simply no mandate to trash the climate. We need to come together to stop them,” says James Shaw. More

PSA: MFAT Must Reverse Decision To Remove Te Reo

MFAT's decision to remove te reo from correspondence before new Ministers are sworn in risks undermining the important progress the public sector has made in honouring te Tiriti. "We are very disappointed in what is a backward decision - it simply seems to be a Ministry bowing to the racist rhetoric we heard on the election campaign trail," says Marcia Puru. More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.