Prioritize the mental health of Police Officers – Security Analyst

Security Analyst, Adib Saani, is calling on the Ghana Police Service to prioritize the mental health of its officers.

He made these comments in light of the recent reports of some police officers allegedly committing suicide.

In an exclusive interview with Univers News, he attributed the cause of these suicidal deaths to mental health.

“This is the issue of mental health, this is not the first time and certainly won’t be the last time. The nature of the job of the police makes them very susceptible to mental health issues, they go on operations, see a lot of blood, exchange fire with criminals. All of these poses post-traumatic stress disorder. So If you don’t have strong mental health service for the police, it becomes much more serious,” he stated.

He further advised that it was imperative for the Ghana Police Service to strengthen their mental health mechanisms to enable them to work with a stable mind.

“A lot of Ghanaians have mental issues and the police being as human as they are, are prone to these mental illnesses. I think it is important we strengthen the mental health mechanisms so as to enable them to work effectively with a stable mind,” he suggested.

Background

On Saturday, 30th January 2021, the Half Assini District Police Commander, Superintendent Cyprian Zenge was reported to have shot himself in his house

According to the assemblyman for the area, Kizito Trill Erzoah, the deceased left behind a note which read, “I am fed up”. and then on Monday, February 1, 2021, the body of Constable Yelnona of the National Protection Unit (NPU) was found in the washroom of a Togolese opposition leader.

It is suspected that he shot himself.