Ex-police officers speak out about battle with PTSD following the suicide of NSW Detective

Former police officers have revealed the horrific things that pushed them over the edge, and called for urgent changes on how officers are trained.

There are calls for more help for police officers exposed to trauma on duty, just days after a Detective killed himself while at work in Sydney’s west.

News Corp spoke to two former serving officers who battled with post-traumatic stress disorder and believe there is an “undercurrent of psychological distress” within the force.

Pia Schindler spent nearly 20 years with the NSW Police Force before she discharged in 2019.

She worked on a number of high profile cases including family court bomber Leonard Warwick and the Frisoli brothers, who were stabbed to death in cold blood.

Family court bomber Leonard Warwick. Picture: AAP Image

Albert Frisoli (pictured) and his brother Mario were murdered

“No training, no photos, no words will prepare you for the visions, smells or noises,” Ms Schindler said.

“That precise moment when you and your partner take that mili second moment to yourself to actually absorb what you are seeing. That moment is lonely - it’s that moment that will stay with you forever.”

Ms Schindler spent a decade in a Detective role at Balmain before she moved to State Crime Command.

The trauma of the job saw her turn to alcohol, which started as one glass of wine to “1.5 bottles every night”.

“I think my promotion to Sergeant in 2013 was when I started to fall apart because of what I had been exposed to,” Ms Schindler said.

“On one of my last jobs, we removed a neglected child from her mother. This child was six and had never worn shoes and was still in a nappy.

Pia Schindler spent 18 years with the NSW Police Force . Picture: supplied

Pia Schindler began to fall apart after her promotion as Sergeant . Picture: supplied

“I went to Target and bought her a wardrobe. I cried when I got home…Still to this day I wonder if this little girl is OK.”

Between 2012 and 2020, 1646 NSW Police officers were medically retired with mental health/PTSD-related issues.

“Before you know it your entire world becomes the cops,” Ms Schindler said.

“It’s part of survival, however it is also part of the slow demise.

“I became numb and cold. I had no warmth in my heart, not even for my children’s smiles.”

Ms Schindler has since formed charity Emerge and See with her best friend and ex-police officer Alana Singleton to help police and first responders deal with PTSD.

Pia Schindler now runs a group to help save others. Picture: supplied

“There is so much room for improvement within the organisations which would provide a better workplace rather than officers falling off the perch into the abyss,” Ms Schindler said.

“I now feel fulfilled every day knowing that I have helped at least one person.

“And I have so much more purpose now than what I ever did 18 years in the NSW Police.”

For Cameron Watts, his 14-year career with the Australian Federal Police in Canberra saw him investigate often distressing situations, including “carrying dead children” away from families and terrorism-related cases.

But the final blow came with the birth of his son in 2015.

Former AFP officer Cameron Watts while working in the Anti-corruption department. Picture: supplied

“Like literally overnight I started to get unbelievably anxious and hypervigilant,” Mr Watts, who now lives in Queensland, said.

“I was completely convinced that really bad things were going to happen to our family because I had witnessed it first hand on the job when I responded to crimes involving children.”

The father-of-two, now an ambassador for Fortem Australia which support first responders, resigned last year after a doctor warned him the job would “eventually kill you”.

“Culturally, our policing organisations need to do better at understanding the situations in which they place their people in,” he said.

“And managers need to do a better job after officers attend situations rather than just offer corporate wellbeing service.

“We’re asked to do things which are unthinkable by the rest of the community. But we are just members of the community.

“We’re not superheroes and we’re not bulletproof.”

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Originally published as Ex-police officers speak out about battle with PTSD following the suicide of NSW Detective