Meeting of the Parliament 27 November 2019
What I am about to tell the chamber is quite shocking; it should shake the Government to the core. I am disappointed that Humza Yousaf, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, is not in the chamber, because some of the content of my speech should shake him to the core.
The state of Scotland’s police is deeply worrying. People across Scotland are struggling with their mental health. When they seek help, often it is not there or it arrives far too late. In the absence of enough support, problems that start small can become big. This week, I came into possession of the findings of new, unpublished, expert academic research into the health of police officers. It shows that many of Scotland’s police officers are struggling with their mental health and are being let down by those at the top and by the Scottish Government.
The scale of the problem is horrifying. Here are just a few examples: 21 per cent of police officers reported high levels of depressed mood; one in 10 reported drinking alcohol or taking prescription drugs as a coping mechanism; and almost half suffer from exhaustion. Most devastating of all, 35 per cent of officers reported going to work while mentally unwell. The officers who keep us safe in our communities are turning up to work while they are unwell with a mental illness. I will let that sink in.
The evidence shows that police officers do not get enough support. Some 57 per cent reported that a lack of resources caused them a high degree of stress. Only 3 per cent agreed that the national force cared about their wellbeing. I repeat: only 3 per cent thought that Police Scotland cared about them. Officers are exhausted, depressed and being pushed into dangerous coping mechanisms.
I know that it is a tough job, but it should not be making people unwell on anything like that scale. The conditions that our police are working in are fundamentally unsafe. That cannot be dismissed.
The research covered six policing divisions, including my own patch in North East Fife. The research team was led by world-renowned expert Professor Linda Duxbury, who was brought over from Canada at the request of the Scottish Police Authority, Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Federation and the other unions. The research could not be any more up to date—I received it just this week.
When I challenged the First Minister on the matter earlier this month, I knew that officer and staff absences had increased by 11 per cent and 25 per cent respectively. The First Minister's solution was that we should just carry on as we are. However, carrying on with the status quo—making no change—will not repair the damage.
I was astonished to see the Cabinet Secretary for Justice say that he was
“very satisfied the support structures are in place for those officers for their mental wellbeing to be addressed.”
So 35 per cent of officers—more than a third—are turning up to work mentally unwell and only 3 per cent of them think that Police Scotland cares, yet the justice secretary is satisfied. He should be ashamed of such an out-of-touch and dismissive remark.