County police officers and staff get suicide-prevention app on work phones
More than 3,000 Leicestershire police officers and staff will have a vital suicide-prevention app put on their work phones, thanks to a Federation campaign.
The county police force’s federation chair, Andy Spence, pushed for the Stay Alive app to be put on phones after attending last month’s national conference, which had a strong focus on police mental health.
Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) data collected from local branches identified 56 police officer suicides between 2021 and 2024, with 34 of these officers being under investigation at the time of their death.
Additionally, 120 officers reported suicidal thoughts or attempts during the same period, with 71 also under investigation.
The true figures are likely to be higher, as forces aren’t mandated to record police suicides.
At the conference, Hampshire Police Federation chair, Spencer Wragg, spoke about the campaign he founded, STEP (Suicide Trauma Education Prevention), and how he had succeeded in getting the Stay Alive app, developed by the Grassroots Suicide Prevention Charity, onto police work phones in Hampshire and Thames Valley.
Afterwards, Mr Spence spoke to the chief officer team in Leicestershire Police and now all officers and police staff members in the force will also have the app.
He said: “It means that we can look after officers, but also that officers who are looking after somebody in the middle of a crisis, or officers who've got concerns about somebody, can also get access to all the information that's right there on the app. It's a fantastic tool.
“The Stay Alive app doesn't ask people for any personal information, it's free of charge, and it provides tailored information to people in crisis.”
The app is designed to be used by people who are in mental health crisis themselves, as well as people who are concerned about someone they know.
Anyone, police or civilian, can download the app for free, or go to prevent-suicide.org.uk to access information from the website.
Paul Gurney, Leicestershire branch chair for Unison, commented: “We fully support the introduction of the Stay Alive App across the force.
"This is an important step in providing immediate, practical help for colleagues who may be struggling, and guidance for those supporting others."