“…In South Africa, members of the police service are challenged by various potential stressors, such as a high crime level, organisational transformation and a lack of resources (Pienaar, 2002). Not surprisingly, increased rates of illness, post-traumatic stress, burnout, alcohol abuse and suicides, and decreased levels of job satisfaction and job performance, as compared to norms for the general population, are found in research with police members (Anshel, 2000;Nel, 1994 Police suicides have shown a consistent increase over the past two decades and according to Violanti (1995), there are a few possible precursors and correlates of police suicide. The immediate availability of firearms, continuous exposure to death and injury, social strain resulting from shift-work, a general lack of social support and the negative public image of police officers have been suggested as possible stressors and reasons for police suicide (Biggam, Violanti, 1995).…”