A FORMER Swan Hill Sergeant has criticised Victoria Police for its treatment of members suffering mental health issues, following the news a third Victorian police member has committed suicide this year.
Bendigo Police Senior Sergeant Darren Wiseman contacted The Guardian this week after a former Swan Hill officer became the third Victoria Police employee to take their own life earlier this month.
Speaking out about his own battle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, Sen Sgt Wiseman — who spent an accumulated six years at Swan Hill Police and two with Robinvale Police — said he has been on leave since May last year after receiving his diagnosis.
His PTSD traced back to an incident that occurred 16 years ago, while he was working for the Preston Crime Investigation (CI) Unit.
He said the incident caused him to transfer to Swan Hill CI so he could move away from the distressing work environment.
“I was the first member on scene to the death of two police officers in a motor car accident as they were responding to a burglary in 2000,” Sen Sgt Wiseman said.
“With that, and the continual going to murders and suicides and fatal car accidents, it just sort of builds up until you can’t take it anymore.
“Realistically, there are a lot of police out there with PTSD — there are about 30 a month that go down with it — who are in my position.”
Sen Sgt Wiseman, who received a Victoria Police Star during his time in Swan Hill, said he turned to drinking to self-medicate and spent five weeks in a clinic for PTSD and depression.
He said it took six months for the Victoria Police welfare service to contact him, by which time he had run out of sick leave, and the organisation had not offered him any psychiatric assistance since.
Additionally, Sen Sgt Wiseman said Victoria Police’s insurance company, Gallagher Bassett, denied his workcover claim and he had been battling the decision in court, at his own cost.
For more on this story, grab a copy of Friday’s Guardian (February 26).
