‘Expected standards’ cause police to quit

Press, 4 February 1987, Page 29

‘Expected standards’ cause police to quit

PA Wellington High standards expected from them, both from within the force and from the public, is one factor causing police to leave the service on medical grounds, says the police chief medical adviser. About 110 officers have left the police under a medical discharge scheme which started in May 1985, about 30 per cent of them with psychological problems. Dr Wiliam Treadwell, chief medical adviser for the police, said health problems affecting officers could be overcome if police dropped their standards. Dr Treadwell said the standard of New Zealand policing was very high, and police were not prepared to let that fall.

“Officers work long hours and accumulate extra leave, but they realise anyone taking leave for a long time is leaving someone else to do his or her job,” he said. “Society’s demands on the police to do more and more are creating problems." Under the medical discharge scheme, officers seeking disengagement are assessed on their competence to continue with police work. However, Inspector Bill Bishop, of Police National Headquarters, said stress alone did not entitle an officer to disengage. “It was only when they have a psychological problem from which they are unfit to continue," he said. Mr Bishop said stress in itself was healthy and

there were many reasons for it, both personal and job-related. The latter might include witnessing traumatic or horrific events such as a child death, a railway-crossing accident, or a drowning, and sometimes the problem might not strike until years afterwards.

Mr Bishop said the 1981 Springbok rugby tour and the Mount Erebus aircrash disaster in 1979 caused psychological problems for several officers. Problems were also caused when officers were working long hours alone. When police officers worked as a unit, team spirit and camaraderie often pulled them through any difficulties, he said.