Cuts in psychiatric care lead to more work for police

POLICE chiefs believe a 50 per cent rise in detentions under the Mental Health Act over the past decade is because of cuts to community psychiatric care.

The number of times police have had to use their emergency section 136 powers to detain people suffering a mental health crisis increased from 17,417 in 2005/06 to 28,271 last year.

Alex Marshall, head of the College of Policing, said: “There is a real risk the high number of cases that frontline police deal with is because the police are stepping in where other agencies would have provided the support.”

The overall increase has occurred despite several forces managing to reduce their use of section 136 powers through street triage schemes, whereby mental health professionals provide on-the-spot advice to police.

There is wide local variation. For example, one in six people detained because of mental health concerns will end up in a cell in the Avon and Somerset force area, while in Merseyside the figure is zero.

Insp Michael Brown, the lead on mental health issues for the College of Policing, told The Guardian: “Police are relied on as an emergency crisis service more now than previously. The police are using the power more. This may be attributable to some areas not having enough availability to care for people in the community, as opposed to in mental health hospitals and units.”

His comments come as police chiefs prepare to introduce new initiatives to help officers deal with mental health issues. The College of Policing is launching guidelines aimed at helping officers to avoid force when dealing with someone suffering from mental health problems.

Police will also be given a minimum of two days’ training on mental health issues.

See more here https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/oct/09/police-forces-mental-health-section-136?CMP=twt_gu