Dear Editor,

I am writing to comment on the decision by the commissioner of police to disarm police personnel who show signs of emotional instability. This strategy by itself will not solve the problem. Neither will it prevent a recurrence of similiar actions by the corporal who killed four relatives and himself in St Mary.

The strategy is for commanding officers to disarm police personnel who display signs of emotional instability. This strategy will only encourage police officers who usually discuss issues and problems with colleagues not to do so out of fear that their firearm might be confiscated. Most of the police officers in the JCF are on frontline duties daily and their lives are in danger on and off duty, and so they should be able to defend themselves lawfully if the need arises. The proposal by the commissioner to relieve them of their firearms without the assessment of a professional counsellor cannot be effective.

This strategy cannot work without the implementation of structured counselling in each division in the JCF. This would provide officers who have issues and problems with an unbiased avenue to deal with them. Commanding officers are not trained counsellors and do not possess the competence to declare an officer emotionally unstable.

The commissioner mentioned the chaplaincy unit, but this is not enough as it is an arm of the JCF and it would appear more transparent if police personnel were to discuss their personal issues and problems with professionals who are not members of the force. I believe that the commissioner means those under his command well, but he needs to consult with professional counsellors and human resource personnel before implementing any strategy to deal with stressed cops or those who appear to have emotional problems.

Dean James

Manchester

mrdeanjames28@hotmail.co.uk