The death of a VIP Protection Service officer, who shot himself at the funeral service of a Law Enforcement Advancement Plan member in Cape Town, has unions calling for more support for officers and their mental health.
The 44-year-old] member of Community Safety MEC Reagen Allans’ protection detail, shot himself outside the Uniting Reformed Church in Elsies River at the funeral of 23-year-old officer Alessandro Alveo Heynes on Saturday.
Commenting on the incident, Popcru spokesperson, Richard Mamabolo, told Media24 that there have been “at least 20 reported cases [of suicide among police officers in] each of the past two years” – which he described as an “alarming level”.
According to Mamabolo, these suicides were driven by the constant threat to police officers’ lives, the “gruesome scenes they witness”, and the “persistent mental and emotional stress” they experience at work.
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He referenced studies that found police officers were more likely to commit suicide than the average South African citizen.
“This scale and scope of crime… is enough to put immense pressure on our 177 794 staff capacity that is expected to service a population of over 60 million,” said the Popcru spokesperson..
In addition, many officers face limited promotion opportunities, shortages of resources and “inconsistencies in leadership.”
“Even though the SAPS has for this purpose introduced employee health and wellness programmes aimed at improving the mental wellbeing of members by providing psychological, emotional, and personal and work interventions, much evidence has demonstrated that the programmes have failed to achieve their objectives,” he said.
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SAPS spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Netshiunda, declined to respond to the statistics provided by Popcru.
“Within the service we have an employee health and wellness unit that caters for spiritual and psychological needs of members. The unit has social workers, psychologists and chaplains who work with members on a daily basis,” said Netshiunda.
Meanwhile, crime expert, Guy Lamb, said that law enforcement officials held highly stressful positions and that VIP protection services were no exception.
“In VIP protection services, members are always on alert. That level of constant vigilance can result in high levels of stress.
“This officer was assigned to protect an MEC in a province with high crime levels and could have been confronting the loss of friends and colleagues.”
Lamb said officers who experienced mental health challenges, such as PTSD or depression, were not always able to access the levels of support they needed.
“Members are not always encouraged to speak out, especially in the militaristic environment of the SAPS. They need support to be made accessible and de-stigmatised.
“Amid the macho culture of the SAPS, there is the sense that if an officer seeks assistance, it may impact their chance of advancement,” he added.
Mamabolo said the wellbeing of police officers was central to any functional police service.
“A police service that feels under threat can find its officers less willing to take on difficult, risky situations, and can also breed mistrust that breaks down essential community relations,” he added.
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Photo: Pexel
