Stats Around Police Officer Deaths

Request Number: FOI/13358

Category: Human Resources - Health and Wellbeing

Subject: Stats Around Police Officer Deaths

Request and Answer: 
Your request for information has now been considered. In respect of Section 1(1)(a) of the Act we can confirm that the Police Service of Northern Ireland does hold some information to which your request relates and this is being provided to you.
We further consider some the information you seek in request number 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 21 exempt by virtue of Sections 30 and 38 of FOIA and have detailed our rationale as to why this exemption applies. The Police Service of Northern Ireland is providing an NCND response for some parts of this request and will explain our rationale in the response below.

We have also provided you with links to guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office which we have followed in responding to your request.

Request Details
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I am conducting research into the welfare and mental health of police officers and am seeking data related to officer deaths and preventative measures. Please provide responses to the following questions.

Request 1
How many police officers were employed by your Constabulary each year between 2014 and 2025? Please show results on an annual basis (e.g., 2014 = 10,000, 2015 = 9,000).

Answer 1
Please see the table below showing the number of police officers that were employed by our Constabulary each year between 2014 and 2025.

Request 2
How many police officers have died whilst in service in your Constabulary each year between 2014 and 2025? Please show results on an annual basis.

Request 3
How many police officers in service in your Constabulary have died by suicide each year between 2014 and 2025? Please show results on an annual basis.

Answers 2 & 3
Please see table below for officer deaths which includes the data for police officers who have died by suicide each year. We have interpreted ‘officers in service’ to mean officers employed by the PSNI at the time of their deaths. We have decided to exempt the break down identifying the number of police officers who have died by suicide each year. The rationale for this is detailed below.

Section 17(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires the Police Service of Northern Ireland, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which:

    a. states that fact,

    b. specifies the exemption in question and

    c. states (if not otherwise apparent) why the exemption applies.
The full text of exemptions can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk and further guidance on how they operate can be located on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.org.uk.

The exemption/s, as well as the factors the Department considered when deciding where the public interest lies, are listed below:

Section 38(1) (a) – Health and Safety – Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to endanger the physical or mental health of any individual.

Section 38
Section 38 is a prejudice-based and qualified exemption which means the public authority must demonstrate that harm in releasing the information exists and carry out a public interest test.

Harm
As the information requested refers to low level data, it has the potential to lead to the identification of officers related to this subject matter. This in turn may be harmful to the mental health of close friends and family.

Public Interest Test
Factors Favouring Release - Section 38
As there is a public interest, release of this information would allow for better informed public awareness and would assist the public in ensuring openness and transparency.

Factors Against Release – Section 38
Publishing this information could lead to the loss of public confidence in PSNI’s ability to protect the wellbeing of any individual. Due to the low level of data, releasing this information into the public domain may identify information in relation to a deceased person or persons and could subsequently cause distress, upset and harm to close family and friends.

Decision
Information should not be released, if it is likely to have a detrimental effect on the physical or mental health of any individual. The public entrust the Police Service to make appropriate decisions with regard to their safety and protection and the only way of reducing risk is to be cautious with what is placed into the public domain. Whilst there is a public interest in the openness and transparency of the PSNI, there is a strong public interest in safeguarding members of the public and the ability of the police service to protect individuals. It is for these reasons that the public interest must be against release of this information.

A disclosure of information under Freedom of Information is a release to the world in general and not just to the individual requesting the information. Once information is disclosed by FOI there is no control or limits as to who or how the information is shared with other individuals, therefore a release under FOI is considered a disclosure to the world in general.

Request 4
For each case of death whilst in service between 2014 and 2025, please provide anonymised demographic details: age, gender, rank, and length of service at the time of death.

Request 5
For each case of death whilst in service between 2014 and 2025, specify whether the officer was in active service or on leave at the time of their death.

Answer 4 & 5
Please see tables below showing the breakdown of deaths by Age, Gender, Rank and Length of Service. We have interpreted ‘active service or on leave’ to mean ‘on or off duty’. We have exempted the breakdown for officers on or off duty at the time of their death and provided the rationale for this exemption below. Additionally, as the information requested refers to personal information, some of the ranks have been grouped. If individual figures are disclosed, it could risk identification of the officers concerned due to the low level of officers within each category. Therefore we have exempted the release of the individual figures and have pooled the categories within Rank table. A full explanation of the exemptions can be found below.

Section 17(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires the Police Service of Northern Ireland, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which:
    a. states that fact,

    b. specifies the exemption in question and

    c. states (if not otherwise apparent) why the exemption applies.

The full text of exemptions can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk and further guidance on how they operate can be located on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.org.uk.

The exemption/s, as well as the factors the Department considered when deciding where the public interest lies, are listed below:

Section 38(1) (a) – Health and Safety – Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to endanger the physical or mental health of any individual.

Section 38
Section 38 is a prejudice-based and qualified exemption which means the public authority must demonstrate that harm in releasing the information exists and carry out a public interest test.

Harm
If the information requested were to be broken down fully by rank and the officers’ duty status, it has the potential to lead to the identification of officers related to this subject matter, as it refers to low level data. This in turn may be harmful to the mental health of close friends and family.

Public Interest Test
Factors Favouring Release - Section 38
As there is a public interest, release of this information would allow for better informed public awareness and would assist the public in ensuring openness and transparency.

Factors Against Release – Section 38
Publishing this information, broken down by rank or whether officers were on or off duty, could lead to the loss of public confidence in PSNI’s ability to protect the wellbeing of any individual. Due to the low level of data, releasing this information into the public domain may identify information in relation to a deceased person or persons and could subsequently cause distress, upset and harm to close family and friends.

Decision
Information should not be released, if it is likely to have a detrimental effect on the physical or mental health of any individual. The public entrust the Police Service to make appropriate decisions with regard to their safety and protection and the only way of reducing risk is to be cautious with what is placed into the public domain. Whilst there is a public interest in the openness and transparency of the PSNI, there is a strong public interest in safeguarding members of the public and the ability of the police service to protect individuals. It is for these reasons that the public interest must be against release of this information.

A disclosure of information under Freedom of Information is a release to the world in general and not just to the individual requesting the information. Once information is disclosed by FOI there is no control or limits as to who or how the information is shared with other individuals, therefore a release under FOI is considered a disclosure to the world in general.

Request 6
Was the officer under investigation for misconduct or criminal offences at the time of their death? If so, please specify the nature of the investigation (e.g., misconduct, criminal, internal review).

For cases where the officer was under investigation for misconduct or criminal offences:

Request 7
Was the investigation carried out by another agency? If so, which organisation?

Request 8
How long was the officer under investigation for?

Request 9
Was the officer suspended from their duties? If so, for how long?

Answers 6, 7, 8 & 9
The Police Service of Northern Ireland can neither confirm nor deny that it holds the information you have requested.

Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section 1(1)(a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in the request is held. The second duty at Section 1(1)(b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held.

Where exemptions are relied upon Section 17(1) of FOIA requires that we provide the applicant with a notice which
    a. states that fact,

    b. specifies the exemption(s) in question and

    c. states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) can Neither Confirm Nor Deny that it holds the information relevant to your request as the duty in Section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not apply by virtue of the following exemptions:

Section 30(3) – Investigations and Proceedings
The duty to confirm or deny does not arise in relation to information which is (or if it were held would be) exempt information by virtue of subsection (1) or (2).

The full text of exemptions can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk and further guidance on how they operate can be located on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.org.uk.

‘Neither Confirm nor Deny’ (NCND)
There may be occasions when complying with the duty to confirm or deny under section 1(1) (a) would in itself disclose sensitive or potentially damaging information that falls under an exemption. In these circumstances, the Act allows a public authority to respond by refusing to confirm or deny whether it holds the requested information.

The decision to issue a ‘neither confirm nor deny’ response is not affected by whether we do or do not hold the information but relates to the consequences of confirming or denying the information is held. The starting point and main focus in most cases will be theoretical considerations about the consequences of confirming or denying that a particular type of information is held. The decision to neither confirm nor deny is separate from a decision not to disclose information and needs to be taken entirely on its own merits.

PSNI follow the Information Commissioner’s Guidance in relation to ‘NCND’ and you may find it helpful to refer to this at the following link:

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guidance-index/freedom-of-information-and-environmental-information-regulations/when-to-refuse-to-confirm-or-deny-holding-information/

Harm for NCND
The Freedom of Information Act is applicant and motive blind. Any information disclosed under the Act is a disclosure to the world at large and would be disclosed to any individual upon request. For this reason a request under the Act cannot be a private transaction. Both the request itself, and any information which may be disclosed, are considered suitable for open publication.
 
The public expect police forces to use all powers and tactics available to prevent and detect crime and maintain public safety.
 
To confirm or deny whether information is held in relation to this request would reveal whether the PSNI has or is actively investigating an individual or individuals. Confirmation or denial would therefore be likely to prejudice our law enforcement functions of preventing and detecting crime, and apprehending and prosecuting offenders. Issuing confirmation or denial responses in relation to any investigations that seek to prevent crime, except for those that have already been publicly confirmed, would enable the public, including criminals, to build up a picture as to where investigations are focused on intelligence gathering and sharing. This would be prejudicial to our policing functions as criminals may take further steps to evade the police.

Public Interest Test
Factors Favouring Confirmation or Denial - Section 30
The Police Service has a duty to conduct criminal investigations and by providing information held would assist in meeting current public interest and provide transparency of policing operations.
 
Factors Against Confirmation or Denial - Section 30
Any information generated by an investigation needs to be treated with sensitivity.  In some cases, it is the confirmation of investigations that would prejudice the evidence gathering within an investigation. Therefore, it would not be in the public interest to disclose information (even inadvertently, through a confirmation or denial) which could identify our investigative activity, and subsequently undermine those processes. To do so would hinder the prevention or detection of crime, and apprehension and prosecution of offenders.
 
Decision
The PSNI is committed to demonstrating openness and accountability, however, the benefits that would result from issuing a confirmation or denial do not outweigh the considerations favouring the neither confirm nor deny response. This is namely because of the impact it would have on the ability of the PSNI to fulfil our law enforcement functions and conduct any potential investigations, either now or in the future.
 
To confirm or deny whether we hold this information would do little to further the public interest arguments, and in fact would have a negative impact upon our ability to protect public safety. It is because of this that I feel the balance falls in favour of the maintenance of this stance, and why these exemptions are engaged and made out in this case.

The Public Interest therefore must favour neither confirming nor denying that the requested information is held. However, this should not be taken as conclusive evidence that the information you requested exists or does not exist.

Request 10
Was there any record of suicidal thoughts, ideations, or attempts held by your Constabulary? If so, when was this recorded?

Request 11
Were there any records indicating the officer reported work-related stress, PTSD, or other mental health challenges prior to their death?

Answer 10 & 11
The Police Service of Northern Ireland can neither confirm nor deny that it holds the information you have requested.

Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section 1(1)(a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in the request is held. The second duty at Section 1(1)(b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held.

Where exemptions are relied upon Section 17(1) of FOIA requires that we provide the applicant with a notice which
    a. states that fact,

    b. specifies the exemption(s) in question and

    c. states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) can Neither Confirm Nor Deny that it holds the information relevant to your request as the duty in Section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not apply by virtue of the following exemptions:

Section 38(2) – Health and Safety – the duty to confirm or deny does not arise if, or to the extent that, compliance with Section (1) (a) would or would likely endanger the safety of an individual.

The full text of exemptions can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk and further guidance on how they operate can be located on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.org.uk.

‘Neither Confirm nor Deny’ (NCND)
There may be occasions when complying with the duty to confirm or deny under section 1(1) (a) would in itself disclose sensitive or potentially damaging information that falls under an exemption. In these circumstances, the Act allows a public authority to respond by refusing to confirm or deny whether it holds the requested information.

The decision to issue a ‘neither confirm nor deny’ response is not affected by whether we do or do not hold the information but relates to the consequences of confirming or denying the information is held. The starting point and main focus in most cases will be theoretical considerations about the consequences of confirming or denying that a particular type of information is held. The decision to neither confirm nor deny is separate from a decision not to disclose information and needs to be taken entirely on its own merits.

PSNI follow the Information Commissioner’s Guidance in relation to ‘NCND’ and you may find it helpful to refer to this at the following link:

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guidance-index/freedom-of-information-and-environmental-information-regulations/when-to-refuse-to-confirm-or-deny-holding-information/

Section 38 is a prejudice-based and qualified exemption which means the public authority must demonstrate the harm in confirming or denying that the information exists and carry out a public interest test.

Harm for NCND
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) a request is treated as applicant blind, as proof of identity is not required under the legislation. PSNI consider a release under the FOI Act is to the world at large and not to an individual or a private citizen. As such any consideration should be made as to whether to confirm or deny if this information exists, within the public domain. Confirmation or denial of a deceased person’s information may inadvertently confirm data about those persons. This, in turn, could cause mental harm to close friends and family.

Public Interest Test
Factors Favouring Confirmation or Denial - Section 38
Confirmation or denial of the existence of the information. As there is a public interest this would allow for better informed public awareness and would assist the public in ensuring openness and transparency.

Factors Against Confirmation or Denial – Section 38
Confirming or denying that information exists could lead to the loss of public confidence in PSNI’s ability to protect the wellbeing of any individual that may be the subject of the requested information. Also, issuing a confirmation or denial of information relating to deceased persons, into the public domain, could subsequently cause distress, upset and harm to close family and friends.

Decision
Information should not be released if it is likely to have a detrimental effect on the physical or mental health of any individual. It is for these reasons that the public interest must favour neither confirming nor denying that the requested information is held. Confirmation or denial of whether the PSNI hold any information would amount to a release of information.

Irrespective of what information is or is not held, the public entrust the Police Service to make appropriate decisions with regard to their safety and protection and the only way of reducing risk is to be cautious with what is placed into the public domain. Whilst there is a public interest in the openness and transparency of the PSNI, there is a strong public interest in safeguarding members of the public and the ability of the police service to protect individuals. It is for these reasons that the public interest must favour neither confirming nor denying that the requested information is held.

A disclosure of information under Freedom of Information is a release to the world in general and not just to the individual requesting the information. Once information is disclosed by FOI there is no control or limits as to who or how the information is shared with other individuals, therefore a release under FOI is considered a disclosure to the world in general.

However, this should not be taken as conclusive evidence that the information you requested exists or does not exist.

Request 12
What policies, practices, or programs does your force have in place to monitor and support the mental health of officers?

Answer 12
Please see attached the Mental Health Resources PDF which lists the available resources available to support the mental health of officers and staff.

Request 13
Have there been any reviews or evaluations of these measures since 2014? If so, please provide details or summaries.

Answer 13
An informal review of mental health service (MHS) by the Head of Mental Health Service, in and around 2020, lead to an application for funding for the ‘Movember’ grant. This was for First responders to transform MHS from a ‘psychological therapies reactive’ service to the provision of a ‘Wellbeing and trauma resilience’ programme of services (see attachment for response to Request 12). These additional services are new and currently undergoing evaluation.

Request 14
What policies, practices, or programs does your force have in place to respond to a death in service?

Request 15
Have there been any reviews or evaluations of these measures since 2014? If so, please provide details or summaries.

Answers 14 & 15
Yes, there is a Death in Service Standard Operating Procedure. This was last reviewed in July 2024 and, at that time, only the forms required amendment. It is due for review again in June 2025

Request 16
What is your Constabulary’s current policy regarding updating police officers under investigation for criminal offences (e.g., frequency of contact, bail updates, charging decisions)?

Answer 16
There is no specific policy in relation to updating officers who are under criminal investigation, however, Professional Standards investigators aim to update all officers subject to misconduct or criminal investigation every 2 months or at critical junctures in the investigation.

Request 17
What safeguarding measures does your organisation put in place for officers being charged with a criminal offence?

Answer 17
There are no specific welfare provision in relation to officers charged with criminal offences, however, all officers subject to misconduct or criminal investigation are provided with a wellbeing leaflet pointing them to support services. A welfare officer is also appointed within an officer’s own district or department for the purposes of welfare support.

Request 18
Do officers receive training on recognising and responding to mental health challenges in themselves and among peers?

Request 19
If so, what does the training entail?

Answer 18 & 19
The PSNI has a cohort of dedicated peers and mental health champions forming the Peer support services (Post incident peer support, Wellbeing volunteers and Modified Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (mGTEP)) who are trained in and who have been trained in peer support, mental health, therapeutic skills, suicide prevention, psychological first aid, Post Incident Stress Management and mGTEP.

In Spring 2024 PSNI introduced Mental Health First Aid training which is currently being rolled out and offered to all officers and staff through the College.

Key benefits include:

• Helping to spot the early signs of a mental health problem
• Feeling confident to help someone experiencing an issue
• Preventing a mental illness from getting worse by applying a range of techniques to manage a mental health condition
• Helping to prevent someone from hurting themselves or others
• Providing help on a first aid basis
• Increasing awareness of participants own attitudes to mental health and illness
• Guiding someone towards the right support
• Reducing the stigma of mental health problems 
• Providing help on a first aid basis

PSNI have 12 trainers who can deliver the course. Since May 2024, 21 two day courses have been delivered to police officers and staff of various ranks and grades.  There are around 250 staff now trained (number may change as systems are updated).

PSNI introduced the course to upskill our staff when dealing with the public in their role however it has been acknowledged that the course may assist helping peers/colleagues within the organisation.

Additionally, we have First Line management training which incorporates a mental health component to equip managers to recognise mental ill health, have wellbeing conversations and sign post to appropriate services.  

Mental Health modules have been fully integrated into Foundation (Psychological Wellbeing in Policing, Trauma Informed Practice in Policing) and Probation Training (Psychological Resilience Skills). This is a new development and these are now available to all new recruits and probationers.  The modules are also available to all officers and staff as on demand viewing on the MHS intranet.

Request 20
Have there been any reviews or evaluations of these measures since 2014? If so, please provide details or summaries.

Answer 20
These are all relatively new developments and have not yet been formally reviewed. Informal review is ongoing in supervision of services.

However, the mGTEP is a preventative and early intervention post trauma exposure and launched in the Summer 2022. This service collects pre and post measures which are currently being analysed to ascertain effectiveness of the service.

Request 21
Are there any records of external factors (e.g., financial stress, family issues) contributing to the suicide cases reported?

Answer 21
The Police Service of Northern Ireland can neither confirm nor deny that it holds the information you have requested.

Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section 1(1)(a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in the request is held. The second duty at Section 1(1)(b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held.

Where exemptions are relied upon Section 17(1) of FOIA requires that we provide the applicant with a notice which
    a. states that fact,

    b. specifies the exemption(s) in question and

    c. states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) can Neither Confirm Nor Deny that it holds the information relevant to your request as the duty in Section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not apply by virtue of the following exemptions:

Section 38(2) – Health and Safety – the duty to confirm or deny does not arise if, or to the extent that, compliance with Section (1) (a) would or would likely endanger the safety of an individual.

The full text of exemptions can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk and further guidance on how they operate can be located on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.org.uk.

‘Neither Confirm nor Deny’ (NCND)
There may be occasions when complying with the duty to confirm or deny under section 1(1) (a) would in itself disclose sensitive or potentially damaging information that falls under an exemption. In these circumstances, the Act allows a public authority to respond by refusing to confirm or deny whether it holds the requested information.

The decision to issue a ‘neither confirm nor deny’ response is not affected by whether we do or do not hold the information but relates to the consequences of confirming or denying the information is held. The starting point and main focus in most cases will be theoretical considerations about the consequences of confirming or denying that a particular type of information is held. The decision to neither confirm nor deny is separate from a decision not to disclose information and needs to be taken entirely on its own merits.

PSNI follow the Information Commissioner’s Guidance in relation to ‘NCND’ and you may find it helpful to refer to this at the following link:

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guidance-index/freedom-of-information-and-environmental-information-regulations/when-to-refuse-to-confirm-or-deny-holding-information/

Section 38 is a prejudice-based and qualified exemption which means the public authority must demonstrate the harm in confirming or denying that the information exists and carry out a public interest test.

Harm for NCND
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) a request is treated as applicant blind, as proof of identity is not required under the legislation. PSNI consider a release under the FOI Act is to the world at large and not to an individual or a private citizen. As such any consideration should be made as to whether to confirm or deny if this information exists, within the public domain. Confirmation or denial of a deceased person’s information may inadvertently confirm data about those persons. This, in turn, could cause mental harm to close friends and family.

Public Interest Test
Factors Favouring Confirmation or Denial - Section 38
Confirmation or denial of the existence of the information. As there is a public interest this would allow for better informed public awareness and would assist the public in ensuring openness and transparency.

Factors Against Confirmation or Denial – Section 38
Confirming or denying that information exists could lead to the loss of public confidence in PSNI’s ability to protect the wellbeing of any individual that may be the subject of the requested information. Also, issuing a confirmation or denial of information relating to deceased persons, into the public domain, could subsequently cause distress, upset and harm to close family and friends.

Decision
Information should not be released if it is likely to have a detrimental effect on the physical or mental health of any individual. It is for these reasons that the public interest must favour neither confirming nor denying that the requested information is held. Confirmation or denial of whether the PSNI hold any information would amount to a release of information.

Irrespective of what information is or is not held, the public entrust the Police Service to make appropriate decisions with regard to their safety and protection and the only way of reducing risk is to be cautious with what is placed into the public domain. Whilst there is a public interest in the openness and transparency of the PSNI, there is a strong public interest in safeguarding members of the public and the ability of the police service to protect individuals. It is for these reasons that the public interest must favour neither confirming nor denying that the requested information is held.

A disclosure of information under Freedom of Information is a release to the world in general and not just to the individual requesting the information. Once information is disclosed by FOI there is no control or limits as to who or how the information is shared with other individuals, therefore a release under FOI is considered a disclosure to the world in general.

However, this should not be taken as conclusive evidence that the information you requested exists or does not exist.