Leveridge

A PROMINENT psychologist is suggesting that police personnel struggling to deal with anger and severe stress-related problems should turn in their guns for safe keeping and urgently seek professional counselling.

Dr George Leveridge, consultant psychologist at the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), said the medical branch of the force has in recent times recruited more technical persons to carry out counselling for police personnel and their families.

"If he is easily irritated, if he has symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder so he is edgy, if he is angry and has issues of (un)forgiveness and so on, where he may be more likely to pull the trigger, then I certainly would ask him to turn it in for safe keeping," Leveridge told The Gleaner in an interview Monday.

The Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) started conducting probes on Sunday into a shooting incident involving a police sergeant and his common-law wife. According to the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN), both persons were shot Sunday following a struggle arising from a dispute between them at Lockhart Avenue in Patrick City, St Andrew. This is the third incident this year where a policeman's firearm had been discharged at home. In the two previous shootings - one in February and the other in July - the spouses of two policemen sustained gunshot wounds and died.

The JCF psychologist said he could not comment of the specific cases without first studying them but said a number of factors could contribute to conflict at home, such as stress, personality issues or jealousy.

Commenting further on the work of the medical branch of the JCF, Leveridge said counsellors were also out in the field visiting police divisions and the homes of policemen to offer advice to families.

"I believe there is a tremendous increase in the utilisation of the services over the past year. Persons are coming in on their own accord, making appointments just to see persons to talk with," he added.

Acknowledging that he could not provide counsel on the safe keeping of firearms, as it was not his area of expertise, Leveridge said policemen receive adequate instructions and training - both at the police academy and on the job - on how to secure their weapons.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com