Durham police officer suffering from PTSD describes isolation, alleges breach of confidentiality by service

Several Durham police officers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) say they believe the service isolated them from the day they went on mental health leave and offered them no meaningful support.

He says there is a culture in the workplace where confidential medical information is mishandled and that senior management believes there are members who lie about mental health injuries. Many said that officers who return are nicknamed “broken toys” and their careers are never the same.

Chief Peter Moreira said the service prioritizes mental health support. He says he manages the severe pressure on staff due to the number of members on leave without stigmatizing them.

But six officers CBC News spoke to said DRPS has not contacted them in a co-operative manner.

“Why are we left to rot on an island and feel like all the work we’ve worked for over the years has been for nothing?” said Joseph, who is a pseudonym.

CBC News is using pseudonyms to protect the identities of all officials because they fear reprisals if they speak to the media.

Moreira said he has never used the phrase “broken toys” and has not heard it within the service since he was appointed in March 2023.

“Nor would I tolerate it if I did,” the chief said in a one-on-one interview.

Moreira said he was disappointed to hear what the officers told CBC News and he wants to know more about the officers’ experiences.

“I’m willing to learn. I’m willing to listen,” he said.

Private medical information shared, allege officials

The most serious allegation concerns how the service handles officers’ private medical information.

Four executives told CBC News that members’ confidential information was shared with people within the workplace who should not have access to that information.

In one example, CBC News viewed an internal document that shows an officer’s PTSD diagnosis was known to at least two members of the service, who had no apparent reason to know his diagnosis – just one day after he filed his WSIB application.

This officer did not lodge a complaint or otherwise inquire about the matter with the DRPS. To protect the officer’s identity, CBC News did not provide Moreira with details about the specific incident.

The chief said he would need more details to comment on a specific case, but said he was not aware of officers’ medical information being shared. He said medical files are restricted to welfare specialists who work for the service.

“If information has been shared that is inappropriate, there are mechanisms by which (officials) can report it and we will investigate and look into it,” he said.

Staffing prioritized over members’ well-being

Beyond privacy concerns, officers described a culture within DRPS that made it difficult for them to decide to go on leave in the first place.

Some of the six officials CBC News spoke with say they believe internal stigma has become worse since Moreira became chief.

During platoon meetings, the two officers said senior officers said members should not go on leave as it was leading to staff shortages.

“It wasn’t said in a tone where they were kind or sympathetic,” Kevin said. “It was like, ‘No, they’re full of shit.'”

Moreira said there is an “undeniable” staffing pressure associated with the number of members who are out. He said the service has added about 300 officers over the past three years to tackle the issue.

“I recognize that a portion of our workforce is not here because they are trying to get better, and I respect that,” he said.

“I haven’t stigmatized people… I’ve actually got more people dedicated to our front lines than ever before.”

Still, several officers told CBC News they feel DRPS is prioritizing staffing over the well-being of members.

Kevin said, “They’re trying to do the job, but they’re doing it wrong, and they’re creating terrible morale throughout the service.”

No longer part of policing ‘family’

Officials said members returning from mental health leave are considered debtors. He said he believes members are no longer respected and face an environment of distrust

“You are no longer part of the police’s quote-unquote Blue family,” Joseph said.

Chris said he repeatedly witnessed how members “made fun of him (and) called him names” when they discovered he had a mental health problem.

Some struggling members continue to work longer than necessary because they fear how management will react, he said.

Chris said he continued working out for some time against the advice of his psychologist. He remembered that when he was alone at work he would break down and fight over whether he should go on leave or not.

“It’s a very difficult thing to make that decision, because you know how the command views those members, and you know now you’re going to be among those members,” he said.

Chief says service prioritizes mental health support

Moreira said he was concerned that officers would not ask for help when needed, but added that “people regularly ask for help” within the service.

She said DRPS has strong wellbeing services and described a culture where mental health is talked about in a “very positive way”.

Moreira said members get unlimited access to psychological services. He said he also talked about his journey with mental health during a family night held for recruits to discuss mental health and resiliency. He said the service also provides peer support to all recruits.

“We invest from the beginning and normalize it,” he said.

‘No contact until negative’

While the chief said support is in place for members, officers CBC News spoke with said they felt almost completely isolated from the service after they were placed on leave.

Excluding some colleagues, all six officers said they had not received any supportive contact from their supervisors or the overall service since they went on leave to check in on how they were doing.

Joseph said he received a medal in the mail commemorating his years of service – without any other contact.

“It was heartbreaking for me to find out what my police service was worth… just stamp a medal and send it to me,” he said.

“Not even a nice note from my supervisor, nothing. They just threw it in a box.”

Andrew Tummonds, president of the Durham Regional Police Association, declined an interview. In a statement, he said that although “some progress has been made in recent days”, the service needs to do more to communicate with furloughed members in a compassionate and sensitive manner.

“The service must move away from a culture of suspicion towards support for mental health claims,” ​​Tumonds said.

Mark Baxter, president of the Police Association of Ontario, said police services may be hesitant to reach out because some members react negatively to being contacted during recovery.

He said he advises police services to make initial contact to gauge the officer’s comfort level. But none of the DRPS officers CBC News spoke to described such interactions.

“There’s no contact, unless it’s negative,” Kevin said.

DRPS is working to contact more officers who have gone on leave: Chief

The WSIB website reads that employers are “responsible for maintaining appropriate and regular communication with their employee during his or her recovery and return to work.”

Moreira said DRPS has a dedicated “reintegration officer” who communicates with furloughed members.

“We are encouraging those contacts,” he said. “We are building our capacity to contact as many people as possible in this area.”

Officials were divided on whether they still wanted the service to reach them.

Initially, Chris said he wanted that connection. Now, he said, his stomach turns when he sees police cruisers.

“I don’t want anything to do with the police service,” he said.

Kevin said the lack of contact reflected the service’s priorities.

“They only care about getting numbers to fill positions,” he said. “He doesn’t care about his people.”

Do you have an Oshawa news story our team should cover? Contact our local reporters: opasawanews@godfear.in