Retirement of police officers due to mental issues increases in Tocantins; MPTO recommends actions to security agencies

The Public Security Specialized Action Group (Gaesp) of the Public Ministry of Tocantins recommended that the bodies of the State Public Security System promote actions to care for the mental health and suicide prevention of their employees. The measure aims to improve working conditions and guarantee the well-being of professionals working on the front line of security.

The recommendation was forwarded to the main bodies in the area, including the Superintendence of Administration of the Penitentiary and Prison Systems, the General Police Station of the Civil Police, the General Commands of the Military Police and the Fire Department, as well as the Superintendence of the Metropolitan Guard of Clap. These institutions have 15 days to respond to Gaesp/MPTO about whether or not they comply with the recommendation.

According to Gaesp/MPTO, the recommendation is based on an administrative procedure initiated in September 2023 that aims to monitor and inspect the internal mechanisms for caring for the mental health of employees of these bodies. The initiative aims to ensure the formulation of clear and effective policies to prevent suicide and promote the psychological well-being of professionals.

Organ data

The Gaesp/MPTO recommendation also considers data from the Military Police, which revealed an increase in the number of requests for leave due to mental health problems between 2019 and 2023. In total, 743 requests were registered during this period, which indicates the need for preventive measures and adequate support for security professionals.

According to information presented, the Civil Police recorded a total of 929 leaves of absence, retirements and reserves in the last 10 years due to illnesses or mental disorders.

Another institution affected by the problem is the Criminal Police, which recorded 10 dismissals for psychiatric reasons and one case of suicide in 2023.

Prevention and care measures

Therefore, the document issued by the MPTO requires the responsible bodies to draw up a suicide prevention plan, applying an approach based on the “5Cs” (awareness, training, competence, conversation and connection). These concepts are fundamental to raising awareness on the topic, training professionals to identify warning signs, developing skills to offer adequate support, promoting spaces for safe conversation and encouraging connection between co-workers.

The recommendation also suggests that the suicide prevention plan offers emergency psychological assistance to the family, support for various bureaucratic measures and systematizes the strategy and emergency actions during the first weeks after the incident. Furthermore, it advises that meetings be held with a team of managers and co-workers when suicide occurs.

The document establishes technical guidelines on how to approach the topic, such as not passing on or strengthening rumors, maintaining emotional bonds and social support, in addition to other actions aimed at addressing the topic.