Police Officer's Death Highlights 'Appreciable Gap' in PTSD Support

The sudden death of a police officer who served the community "with distinction" should be a "lesson" for local police, a coronial inquest has found.

The inquest was held last year to investigate whether the 2022 suicide of Senior Constable and father-of-two Benjamin Warren could have been prevented.

It heard that the 35-year-old had a "high likelihood of PTSD" and was found in an administration office at the police academy on February 27, after his ex-wife raised concerns with police about his safety.

Coroner's Findings

In published findings, State Coroner Naomi Kereru said she found the death of Mr Warren could not have been prevented.

"However, it does not follow that nothing should be done differently in future," she said.

"Mr Warren's death has highlighted an appreciable gap in the psychological support for police members suffering from PTSD."

"[His] strong desire to keep his struggles to himself and his death should be a lesson for SAPOL in how to approach members involved in traumatic incidents in future who may mask or conceal difficulties they face."

PTSD Diagnosis

The inquest had been told that personal belongings were found near Mr Warren's body along with a note that read: "No diagnosed depression/PTSD etc./no diagnosed mental health".

In her findings, Ms Kereru said she found that Mr Warren was suffering from "post-traumatic stress disorder at the time of his death and for some years before that".

"I find that the disorder was the result of exposure to various critical incidents during the performance of his duties as a member of police," she said.

Recommendations

The coroner made four recommendations to the police minister, including that police "increase promotion and education to members on the EAP (and other external providers) as a confidential treatment service that members can self-refer to".

She also recommended that police "develop and implement an electronic platform which captures and flags repeated exposure to potentially traumatic taskings".

"An elevated system of recognising sustained exposure would have served Mr Warren better in that he was a member who did not raise concern in any individual tasking," she said.

"A global consideration of his profile may have informed a different approach and may have put his particular behaviours in a different light when assessed by a clinician or even potentially his supervisors."

Ms Kereru further recommended that police "implement mandatory psychological or psychiatric reviews … for those members that the platform identifies to reach a threshold level of traumatic exposure".

She added that mandatory reviews "should include input from a partner or the next of kin of the member but only with the consent of the member".

"The member's consent be sought for the clinician to speak to a close family member to obtain their perspective, which will assist in identifying signs or symptoms of mental health issues", she said.

Response from Police Minister

In a statement, Police Minister Michael Brown expressed his "deepest sympathies" and acknowledged that "police officers are often exposed to extremely traumatic situations in the line of duty".

"We will certainly consider the recommendations made and raise them with the Police Commissioner in an effort to prevent such a tragedy in the future," he said.

Ms Kereru expressed her condolences to Mr Warren's "young family" and "all those who cared for him".

"Mr Warren served the community with distinction," she said.

"He was repeatedly exposed to traumatic events because he was a talented member of police."