March 23, 2018 4.49 pm This story is over 72 months old

Voice of Lincoln: Should police officers get two extra days off to de-stress?

Support for a tough and stressful job.

Lincolnshire Police Chief Constable Bill Skelly announced this week plans to give police officers extra days off work.

The plans are part of a series of initiatives that aim to increase wellbeing within the force. By offering staff ways to de-stress, it is hoped that officers will take less sick days and be more resilient.

Lincolnshire Police currently employs over 1,800 officers and staff. The extra days off will equate to losing 15 members of full-time staff.

The idea was met with mixed responses, and was mocked in the national press.

But The Lincolnite has been asking people in Lincoln city centre what they thought of the decision.

Helena said: “It’s going to help them overall because they’re going to spend fewer days off work.

“They need to test it. Measure how stressed they were at the beginning and then if they were really less stressed afterwards then you can kind of see if it was a useful thing to do.”

Jeff said: “They should spend the money on more officers really, but there should be more systems in place for people with stress as well.”

Mike said: “Policemen used to just get on with it years ago, they didn’t have to have yoga and things like that.

“It is a stressful job I’m sure, but the money could be better spent elsewhere.”

Earlier this year Lincolnshire Police trained fitness mentors. These specialists officers advise colleagues on how to stay fit and eat healthily.