Ontario needs to take action to prevent more police suicides

Suicides among OPP officers are higher than on-duty deaths. Moreover, OPP does not formally keep track of the number of officers that have taken their own lives.

Ontario needs to take action to prevent more police suicides

Postby Thomas » Sat Mar 30, 2019 5:10 pm

Ontario needs to take action now to prevent more police suicides

I am outraged at the irresponsible manner in which the four recent OPP suicides have been addressed by the Ontario government, including the WSIB and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

The Chief Coroner of Ontario is simply conducting a paper review of the police suicides of 2018, seeking no additional contributing information.

The OPP has commenced a review of the ombudsman’s 2012 report regarding the OPP failures to address PTSD. Now, seven years later, the same police force that did not fulfil the ombudsman’s recommendations are once again studying themselves without benefit of an independent examiner.

Are they to be entrusted to address the bullying, sexual and verbal harassment and corruption within their own ranks?

In the meantime, the serious failures and egregious conduct by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board against police officers suffering from PTSD continues unabated. Even WSIB staff staged a wildcat walkout last week to emphasize that they are unable to properly help us.

To date, the Ontario ombudsman has sat on numerous, very serious, allegations from police and medical personnel alike for horrific failures of WSIB to help mentally injured police.

A new commissioner will hopefully correct some of the internal problems of leadership, but he cannot correct the major existing problems causing suicides. The Ontario government must act decisively, and act now.

Bruce C. Kruger, retired OPP detective inspector, Bracebridge

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters ... cides.html
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