Five police officers have committed suicide in past three years, confirm Police Scotland

There were concerns about a “hidden toll” of the work of being a police officer.

Police Scotland has confirmed that five police officers took their own lives in the last five years, but that none did so due to workplace pressures.

Assistant chief constable Gary Ritchie told MSPs on Holyrood’s criminal justice committee the number of suicides among police officers was lower than numbers suggested by others, which estimated around four a year.

However, Scottish Conservative MSPs said the suggestion this was the full picture and there was no link to the work of police officers was not credible.

Concerns have been raised about the number of suicides among police officers in Holyrood

Russell Findlay, the deputy convener of the committee, said he found it surprising there was no link to workplace stress recorded by those looking at police officer suicides.

ACC Ritchie said the force was “never” in the position where it could rule out workplace stress as a leading factor in a police officer’s suicide, but said no investigations into these deaths had suggested this was a common cause.

He said: “We’ve all acknowledged here that the causes of suicide are complex and it’s often not just one factor. For me to sit here today and say there is absolutely no work pressure involved in the consideration for someone to take their own life would be incredibly arrogant of me.

"What has been said is that in respect of the investigation there was nothing apparent in the results of the investigation that would suggest that the individual was suffering from or had indicated that the individual had been suffering from work pressures or had been under investigation or had any workplace concerns that had been notified to the service beforehand.”

Jamie Greene, the former Scottish Tory justice spokesperson, said he struggled to believe there was no link.

He said: “The bit I’m struggling with is this assumption that of those who have tragically taken their lives over the last few years who were serving officers, that there’s never been any identified public or open link between what they do for a living and what happened to them.

"I find that incredible to believe and the reason for that quite simply is that we as a committee have met former and even serving officers who have been very frank and honest with us in private that they’ve either tried to take their own lives or have thought about it quite considerably, as a direct result of the circumstance they find themselves in by being a serving police officer.

"We know it to be true, the families know it to be true. Why is no-one willing to admit that is the case? There surely is a link?”

ACC Ritchie said investigations did seek to find the full picture of an individual’s circumstances prior to them losing their life. He said these investigations were “significant and substantial”.

“I don’t think it is a denial by the service, it is simply an honest reporting of the results of the investigation,” he said. "If there was workplace stresses involved and if there was workplace considerations involved we would be open about it, we absolutely would be.”

Those seeking crisis support, or support outside of working hours, can call Breathing Space on 0800 83 85 87 or the Samaritans on 116 123.

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