Death of police officers in DF resumes debate on emotional exhaustion of police officers

This Sunday morning, Federal District Military Police (PMDF) sergeant Paulo Pereira de Souza shot a colleague inside a vehicle and then shot himself in Recanto das Emas, in the Federal District. The shooter died instantly; the other police officer was taken to the Taguatinga Regional Hospital (HRT) in serious condition, but also did not survive.

According to investigations, Sergeant Paulo had been with the company for 23 years and worked in Gama, but had recently been transferred to Recanto das Emas. The Civil Police of the Federal District, which is investigating the case, is investigating possible mental health problems that the shooter was facing.

In a statement released hours after the incident, the governor of the Federal District, Celina Leão (PP), promised increased investment in the mental health of police officers. “With deep sadness, we mourn the loss of two military police officers. This painful event highlights the urgency of prioritizing mental health within the security forces (…) We are committed and will increasingly invest in programs that seek harmony between mental health and the professional aspect of our corporation”, declared the governor.

The General Commander of the PMDF, Colonel Ana Paula Barros Habka, released a statement stating that “the mental health of police officers is a priority for the corporation”. “The matter will be dealt with across all departments to achieve the objective of security in relation to military police health, as well as perpetuating and optimizing the security of society throughout the Federal District.

In this way, we highlight our ongoing commitment to the well-being and mental health of our institution’s members, committed to creating a work environment where mental health care is a priority. We believe that supporting the mental health of our police officers is critical to maintaining a resilient, effective and compassionate workforce,” said the commander.

Police suicide rate is almost 8 times higher than that of the general population

As shown by People’s Gazette In this report, The suicide rate among active police officers from different corporations in Brazil in 2021 is much higher than the average for the general population. According to the 16th Brazilian Public Security Yearbook, that year there was an increase of 55.4%, with 121 occurrences. The number is almost eight times higher than the increase seen among the general population, of 7.4%.

In the opinion of Paulo Cesar Porto Martins, PhD in Psychology and professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUC-PR), continuous exposure to violence and risk is one of the factors that most impact the significant emotional exhaustion of Brazilian police officers. Other issues, such as the devaluation of security agents – both by public authorities, through better salaries and structure, and by sectors of society that attribute less prestige to the profession – and the lack of legal support for security activities aggravate the problem. .

“Police officers work with a very harsh reality, and this affects their psychology in an extreme way. Behind that strength and rigidity there is often very strong suffering, so it is necessary to pay close attention so that these professionals deal better with the emotional aspects”, he points out.

Martins cites the importance of psychotherapy to prevent the worsening of emotional problems, but reinforces the relevance of prevention activities within corporations. “There needs to be training, training and a support structure for police officers. Mental health suffers prejudice not only within the security forces structure. Unlike someone who has an apparent wound, what you can’t see often leads people to think it’s fake,” says the psychologist.