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A REVIEW into the mental health of Victorian police officers has been welcomed by frontline workers and police.
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Victoria Police announced the review on Friday which will consider the best way to provide services, if there are any service gaps and where improvements can be made.
The way services are provided after police have finished their careers will also be examined.
Former Albury mayor Kevin Mack, who is on unpaid leave from Victoria Police, said officers dealt with a wide range of trauma.
While issues like PTSD were frowned upon 20 years ago, Cr Mack said such problems were now recognised and accepted as an occupational hazard.
“(Trauma) is something your mind processes and has to deal with,” he said.
“Whether it’s paramedics, fire crews or police, the impact that has on people and their extended families is significant.
“I’ve had my issues in the past.
“I’ve dealt with them but whether they come back to haunt you later in life, I don’t know.
“It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.
“Everyone deals with trauma differently.”
Cr Mack said he still thought about a Christmas Day triple fatality he attended near Rutherglen about 20 years ago every festive season.
“Employers can’t prepare people for everything they’re confronted with because it’s so unique to every individual,” he said.
“It’s hard for employers.”
Lifeline Albury Wodonga general manager Chris Pidd said the review would need to be broad and consider all angles.
“I think it should look at every aspect of an officer’s life,” he said.
“Police are facing multiple traumas every single day.
“They attend car crashes and other critical incidents and that’s bound to have an impact on their mental health.”
Mr Pidd said he wouldn’t be surprised if police and other emergency service workers sought help from Lifeline.
“Lifeline supports everyone in the community needing support,” he said.
“This is a great initiative.”
The review follows the death of a policewoman who shot herself with her service revolver in Seaford on October 12.
More than 40 Victorian officers are reported to have committed suicide since 1990.