We did a story on police PTSD, and this happened
Five times as many police officers in NSW suicide than were killed in the line of duty in the last 18 months but none of them will appear on the police Honour Roll.
In fact, their deaths are not recorded in police force statistics at all so an actual figure is hard to find.
The Honour Roll and Wall of Remembrance in Canberra are reserved for officers killed in the line of duty. The criteria for this specifically exclude those who suicide.
Police minister Stuart Ayres said he is investigating an alternative way to recognize those who take their own life due to the stresses of the job, but hundreds affected by PTSD are demanding more.
The wife of former detective Ashley Bryant, who took his own life after a decade battle with PTSD, told Sunday Night Ayres response was an 'insult'.
"The issue I have is that the Minister is using the flawed criteria for the National Police Memorial (which specifically excludes suicide) as an excuse not to address the repeated calls for police officers with a diagnosed psychological injury, directly related to their policing careers, to be included," she said.
"He is suggesting an alternative memorial...This is an insult to all affected and a denial of the very real fact that a workplace psychological injury is equal to a workplace physical injury. Ultimately, both can kill you."
Mr Ayres said his office was bound by the criteria of National Memorial Committee, on which every state is represented. On the 5th August this year that committee decided unanimously to leave the criteria unchanged.
"Police officers who have suicided due to PTSD should be recognised. However the criteria for listing police officers on the NSW Honour Roll are the same as for the National Wall of Remembrance. It excludes officers who did not die as a direct result of their duties, including suicides," he said.
"The NSWPF is however exploring a suitable memorial to acknowledge officers who die in other ways."
Former police officer Jeff Garland has launched a petition to see it changed.
But it is just half the battle, adding to the stress for police suffering from PTSD are the workers compensation or disability claims.
In 2012 the NSW government awarded the contract to MetLife insurance and since our story on November 17 we have had over 50 emails about officers with PTSD being refused claims or experiencing delays.
Garland said he was spied on by global insurance giant MetLife and eventually forced him to abandon his disability claim.
"You had to keep seeing all these specialists keep had to keep going over everything and, with me, it wasn’t just one incident there was a long list of things I had to go through."
"I saw this car out the front of my house and we drove past it and there was a guy in the backseat of his car with a camera following us just pointed straight at us and he was trying to hide."
Mr Ayres said he was "disappointed" to hear officers were experiencing difficulty.
"I am disappointed in the delays former officers are experiencing in their claims with MetLife. I am keen to see former officers receive all of the benefits they are entitled to."
"The NSW Police Force, MetLife and the First State Superannuation Trustee Corporation will continue to meet regularly to monitor progress and to address any further delays. I have asked the NSW Police Force to keep me informed of progress on a regular basis."
The following titles are by officers featured in our story:
Allan Sparkes: ‘The Cost of Bravery’
Esther McKay: True Stories from the Life of a Country Crime Scene Cop
Jeff Garland: Split Second Story
Belinda Neil: Under Siege
If you are struggling with depression or PTSD click here to visit Lifeline or call 131114
The Police Post Trauma Support Group 24 hour helpline is 0432 569 589 or visit their website here.
We asked viewers to send us photos of PTSD sufferers in the police force and received over 100 emails, unfortunately not all the photos we received were appropriate size and quality, but we appreciate everyone who contributed.
CONTACT SUNDAY NIGHT
