Use of police custody for mental health cases drops

THE use of police custody as a place of safety under mental health legislation across the country has more than halved in one year.

In South Yorkshire the number of times police cells were used as a place of safety under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act went from 127 to 96.

The number of times police cells in England and Wales were used as a place of safety under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 fell from 4,537 in 2014/15 to 2,100 in 2015/16 (a 54% reduction).

The trend was particularly marked for children and young people: 43 under 18s thought to be mentally unwell were taken directly to police custody in 2015/16 compared with 161 in 2014/15 (a 73% reduction).

More cases are being referred straight to health-based places of safety than ever before (26,171).

The NPCC Lead for Mental Health and Policing, Commander Christine Jones, praised the hard work of police officers and staff in ensuring those experiencing a mental health crisis are treated by the right professionals in an appropriate setting.

However, she went on to warn that there is more to do and momentum must not be lost.

She said: “Nationally, police and health professionals have worked tremendously hard to meet the needs of those in mental health crisis and make sure they are treated in a suitable environment.

“However, there are still significant challenges for colleagues in health and commissioning, who must ensure that bed space – and, indeed, less urgent mental health provision – is sufficient to meet demand.

“The data indicates real progress. In order to build on that we must continue to demonstrate we will not tolerate the use of police cells for those who are unwell.

“It should remain the joint ambition of police and health partners to achieve equality in the way people with mental and physical health needs are treated.”