Inquest into the Death of Cameron Anthony FYFE

Contributing factors

• long-standing depression and anxiety
• cessation of antidepressant medication
• disengagement from psychological therapy
• alcohol consumption
• suicidal ideation
• access to police-issued firearm at home
• absence of mental health risk assessment before authorisation to store firearm at home
• perceived stigma around seeking help from police mental health services
• fear of career consequences of disclosing mental health struggles
• failure to conduct physical inspection of gun storage cabinet before authorisation

Coroner's recommendations

1. That the Western Australia Police Force take all reasonable steps to ensure a comprehensive mental health risk assessment is prepared in relation to every individual police officer who is to join the Traffic Motorcycle Group and who is to be authorised to store their police issued firearm at their home address, before they are authorised to do so, with a further comprehensive mental health risk assessment taking place every year the authorisation to store their police issued firearm at their home address will be renewed. In the case of police officers who are already in the Traffic Motorcycle Group and who have already been authorised to store their police issued firearm at their home, they should be strongly encouraged to participate in such comprehensive mental health risk assessments.
2. That the Western Australia Police Force consider the development of a comprehensive and ongoing strategy to reduce stigma within the Western Australia Police Force in relation to conversations regarding mental health and help seeking.
3. That the Western Australia Police Force explore further options for proactively checking in with police officers in connection with their mental health and wellbeing at various stages of their employment with the Western Australia Police Force, and that resources be allocated for this to occur. This checking in should be done in a way that allows for choice and autonomy.
4. That the Western Australia Police Force consider ways of disseminating further information emphasising how confidentiality provisions apply when police officers access their mental health resources, including information regarding the steps that may be taken should a mental health practitioner form a concern for a police officer's wellbeing.