File photo (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

RCMP MENTAL HEALTH

Kamloops RCMP detachment prioritizing officers’ mental health

Jul 16, 2022 | 7:46 AM

KAMLOOPS —

“I can tell you policing, much like some of our other emergency services, are careers that will change you for life. You will carry things. It’s how we deal with it that is going to be important.” -RCMP Superintendent Syd Lecky.

The importance of mental health awareness has become more of a priority over the past decade, especially for first responders.

“We are trying to do a better job. That’s been underway for a number of years now,” said Lecky. “We have a wellness committee started here to help address some of the issues that affect members and staff.”

Lecky noted that the stress of the job isn’t just felt by the officers, but also the City of Kamloops staff members who work at the detachment.

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“We are trying to do a better job of recognizing the pressures that they have to deal with. If you think about it with our staff, they work side-by-side with us in a lot of the things we do. They feel a lot of the pressures we deal with and they have to read and transcribe and see a lot of the horrific things that we work with,” stated Lecky. “(For) all our staff, we are trying to do a better job.”

One of the new initiatives underway at the detachment is bringing in a therapy dog once per week.

“It’s actually a big hit. I was surprised with how popular it’s become. (It’s a) dog that comes around and visits with our members and staff, just to break the day up,” said Lecky. “Little things that we are doing, but we are definitely trying to do a better job.”

Some of the challenges facing the detachment commander is the stigma around policing.

“Policing culture members often feel pressure to come into work, and work through injury,” said Lecky. “What we want, at the end of the career, is for people to be able to go home and go on with their lives and their retirements and not have to carry that baggage for the rest of their lives.”