Coroner to write to the Chief Constable following the death of Sergeant

The Coroner is to write to the Chief Constable regarding welfare arrangements for suspended officers, following the death of Police Sergeant Stephen Kenneth Hall.

The Traffic Sergeant who lived in Ballaugh died on Wednesday, November 13 of last year.

The Isle of Man Constabulary has released the following statement after the conclusion of the Coroner’s Inquest today:

“Following the conclusion of the Coroner’s Inquest, the Isle of Man Constabulary (IOMC) reaffirms its sincere condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the surviving wife, children and wider family of the late Police Sergeant Stephen Kenneth Hall.

It is also appropriate to pay tribute to the valiant efforts of several officers who attended the scene, and attempted to save life in the most difficult of circumstances and the impact upon them cannot be under-estimated.

The IOMC notes the intention of the Coroner to write to the Chief Constable in relation to welfare arrangements for suspended officers and any recommendations he may make will be carefully considered by the IOMC in due course.

It is important to be clear, however, that the IOMC offers a wide range of welfare provision, which reflects best practice akin to other forces across the United Kingdom.

These provisions include post-incident debrief procedures aimed at the management of trauma, access to specialist external counselling services, and direct engagement with specialist mental health services whose role is to manage acute cases.

The IOMC also provides signposting to support services for those struggling with addiction. These comprehensive arrangements reflect the unusual demands of a role in the emergency services, and it must be emphasised that these provisions go far beyond the conventional welfare procedures of most employers.”