Mark Glover

Police long-term absence up 35% in five years

5th April 2016
Mental health
Figures released to the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) by police forces show cases grew from 4,544 in 2010/2011 to 6,129 in 2014/15.The information, requested by BBC Radio 5 live, shows the number of police employees on long-term sick leave (defined as 28 or 29 days or more) rose by 13% in the same period.Since March 2010, the number of police officers employed has fallen almost 17,000; support staff have reduced by 15,877 and community support officers by 4,587.