Police officer dubbed ‘Supercop’ who arrested 1,000 in 18 months reveals how crimefighting career left him broken and suffering with PTSD
- Alistair Livingstone was forced to quit Suffolk police after mental health issues
- He’s now written a book to raise awareness about the ‘challenges of policing’
- Colleagues described him as a ‘machine’ who didn’t sleep’ and ‘lived for the job
A former police officer dubbed ‘Supercop’ for making 1,000 arrests in 18 months has revealed how he was for forced to quit his job after suffering mental health issues.
Alistair Livingstone, who began his career with Suffolk Police at 18, has suffered broken fingers and feet and numerous punches in the line of duty.
Other emotional incidents included holding on to a suicidal man who was hanging over the edge of a nine-storey car park for which he would later receive an award from the Royal Humane Society
Alistair Livingstone (pictured) has been heralded for making the most arrests in Britain but he said he was left ‘broken’ by life as ‘Supercop’
But he revealed the demanding job and his reputation as ‘Robocop’ took its toll on his mental health.
Mr Livingstone, who holds the country’s top arrest record for the most arrests in Britain, has now penned a book about his police experience as well as to raise awareness about the ‘challenges of policing in a modern society’.
In Broken Blue Line, he has written about his rise from police constable to sergeant in a short space of time, his role in the investigation of Steve Wright in connection with the infamous murders of five young women in Ipswich in 2006, and dealing with the death of a colleague while on duty.
Mr Livingstone wrote: ‘They used to refer to me as a ‘machine’ who didn’t sleep, lived for the job and just never stopped.
‘I became someone that people felt epitomised front-line operational policing. My job defined me.
‘I felt like I was indestructible and that I would never suffer with any form of ill health, let alone have a mental breakdown. I was Sergeant Ali Livingstone.’
Mr Livingstone (pictured) has now penned Broken Blue Line, in which he has written about his experiences during his time with Suffolk Police
The book also reveals details of him working as a tactical advisor during an operation to deal with a double murder and violent disturbance on the West Meadows’ travellers’ site just outside Ipswich in December 2016.
Recalling the incident Mr Livingstone revealed he worked almost 20 night shifts in a row on the ‘truly dramatic’ operation.
He felt ‘no sooner than this incident had been resolved, Ipswich descended into a period of violent crime’.
He said he and his colleagues in central Ipswich felt they were ‘fighting a tide of violence’, with murders, stabbings, muggings, robberies and attacks on officers, in the subsequent three months,.
The former Sgt for Suffolk Police revealed how he worked almost 20 night shifts in a row while investigating one dangerous case
All these incidents coupled with the ‘pressure of public expectation’ and media interest’ took a toll on his mental health.
The former office resigned in June of last year, aged 36, citing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety.
Mr Livingstone, who tried to return to return to the force this year but quit, now works in a student support role at a high school.
He hopes the book would help both other police officers and others as well as those suffering from PTSD.