Crime scene investigators are ‘suffering severe damage’ to their mental health due to more frequent exposure to ‘traumatic scenes’ amid soaring workloads.
New data from a union representing forensic teams who attend crime scenes reveals 84% of crime scene investigators they spoke to said their work has an impact on their mental health.
UNISON’s survey also found 4 in 5 (78%) reported increased workload pressures, saying their employers’ expectations have increased even as 56% said their departments have cut staff over the past year.
In response to this new research, the union said ‘essential government investment is also needed to tackle chronic understaffing’ and to ‘protect the wellbeing of workers essential to a functioning justice system’.
UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: ‘Crime scene investigators are paying a terrible price for their dedication to public safety and criminal justice.
‘They deal with the aftermath of incidents that nobody wants to see. Regular trauma is seriously damaging their mental health, yet too often their suffering is overlooked, ignored or dismissed. That is unacceptable.
‘Forces must face up to the reality of what their staff experience. Support must be automatic, confidential and properly resourced. Nobody should be left to cope alone.’
