Police Commissioner of Antigua and Barbuda, Atlee Rodney, has called for greater attention to be placed on mental health, describing it as the hidden pandemic affecting regional police officers.
He made this call during the opening of the five-day Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP), currently being held at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre.
Rodney highlighted that policing is a complex and challenging profession where men and women in uniform answer the call to serve, enhance the quality of life, and commit to public safety while risking their lives for others.
However, amid their commitment and the pressures of the job, the ACCP President noted that a critical aspect of policing—mental health support—appears to be lacking in all regional organisations.
“This is the aspect of attention paid to the mental health of our police officers. As leaders, we must place more emphasis in this area and provide the necessary support to our officers,” he said.
Mental health issues, he emphasised, are the hidden pandemic plaguing police forces across the region.
“It is my desire that we in the Caribbean address this hidden pandemic, especially in our respective police organisations, and as the leaders. Let us seek professional assistance for our hardworking but often stressed-out law enforcement officers. Our inaction will lead to the loss of police skills, knowledge, experience, public safety, and, most importantly, police officers’ lives.”
The ACCP President urged the heads of respective police forces to address the issue of mental health within their agencies for the welfare of the men and women who serve across the Caribbean, ensuring positive benefits for society as a whole.
