As Mental Health Awareness Week comes to a close, Mr Kavanagh shares his thoughts on mental health and policing.
“Whether it’s responding to incidents where people need our help or making sure officers and staff are as healthy as they can be, mental health touches our lives on a daily basis.
“Being a police officer can be relentless. We see people on the worst day they’ll ever have. We see trauma and tragedy and people suffering and at risk of harming themselves or others. Our job is to meet those incidents with compassion and understanding because keeping people safe is the biggest part of what we do.
“This week is an opportunity for me to pay tribute to the amazing men and women who work in our health service and police service.
“We are human beings in a job that depends on humanity. We feel sadness, stress, worry and carry with us the bad things that happen in life, just like anyone else.
“In such a difficult job, we all make too many withdrawals from what I call our ‘wellbeing bank account’. The support that I provide for my officers and staff is designed to keep that account topped up.
“To do that means supporting people through difficult times, making sure we provide expert help quickly when it’s needed, and looking out for each other every day.
“I give thanks this week to everyone working to help make our county response to the mental health challenge better.”
