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Mentally ill people held by police too often - watchdogs | |
(about 11 hours later) | |
Too many mentally ill people are being held in police cells, say four watchdog bodies in England and Wales. | Too many mentally ill people are being held in police cells, say four watchdog bodies in England and Wales. |
A report from the four bodies covering police, prisons and care called for a rethink of how powers are used to detain people in a "place of safety". | A report from the four bodies covering police, prisons and care called for a rethink of how powers are used to detain people in a "place of safety". |
Some of those who were detained were as young as 14. | Some of those who were detained were as young as 14. |
Current guidance says police should take the mentally ill to a hospital or similar location in all but exceptional circumstances. | Current guidance says police should take the mentally ill to a hospital or similar location in all but exceptional circumstances. |
But the report, from Her Majesty's Inspectorates of Constabulary and Prisons, the Care Quality Commission and the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, said detention in police cells was far from exceptional. | |
Own protection | |
Under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983, police officers can hold someone for their own protection and so that they can be medically assessed. | Under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983, police officers can hold someone for their own protection and so that they can be medically assessed. |
Examples include officers called to deal with an elderly person with dementia walking outside alone, people who may be suicidal, or incidents in which someone is suffering from a psychotic episode leading to abnormal or dangerous behaviour. | Examples include officers called to deal with an elderly person with dementia walking outside alone, people who may be suicidal, or incidents in which someone is suffering from a psychotic episode leading to abnormal or dangerous behaviour. |
During 2011-12, 9,000 people were detained in police custody under section 136, while 16,000 were taken to a hospital. | During 2011-12, 9,000 people were detained in police custody under section 136, while 16,000 were taken to a hospital. |
This is "clearly not an exceptional use of the power", the inspectors said. | This is "clearly not an exceptional use of the power", the inspectors said. |
When they looked closely at a sample of 70 cases, they found that eight out of 10 of those held in police cells had been detained in relation to fears either that they were suicidal or that they could harm themselves. | When they looked closely at a sample of 70 cases, they found that eight out of 10 of those held in police cells had been detained in relation to fears either that they were suicidal or that they could harm themselves. |
The report said people detained in police custody under section 136 were subject to the same "processes and procedures" as arrested criminals. | |
The average stay in a cell was more than 10 hours. Inspectors said the legal disparity needed to be resolved between mental health detainees, who could be held for 72 hours, and most criminals, who must be charged or released after 24. | The average stay in a cell was more than 10 hours. Inspectors said the legal disparity needed to be resolved between mental health detainees, who could be held for 72 hours, and most criminals, who must be charged or released after 24. |
'Deplorable situation' | |
The most common reasons for police custody were that there was neither a bed nor staff available at a hospital or other healthcare facility. | The most common reasons for police custody were that there was neither a bed nor staff available at a hospital or other healthcare facility. |
Other detainees were taken to cells because they were drunk, behaving violently, or known to have done so in the past. | Other detainees were taken to cells because they were drunk, behaving violently, or known to have done so in the past. |
The report said many police officers had told inspectors they did not think that custody was the best place for these people. | The report said many police officers had told inspectors they did not think that custody was the best place for these people. |
Drusilla Sharpling, of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, said too many people were being detained under section 136. | |
"Their only 'crime' is that they have mental disorders, but they are treated in many ways as if they are criminals. This deplorable situation cannot be allowed to continue," she said. | |
Claire Greaves, 21, was kept in a police cell overnight after her college rang the police when she became suicidal. The stay came after the local hospital had no beds available. | |
Ms Greaves, who was strip-searched, said on-duty officers "reassured me that it was fine". | |
But the cell "was horrible because it was not the cleanest and happiest of places. It makes you feel like you've done something wrong because you're sat in a cell on a Friday night". | |
"There were people kicking off, people being restrained, people shouting and swearing," she said. | |
"I'm never going to forget that I've spent the night in a cell. It was a distressing environment. It's a place for criminals not people who are feeling ill." | |
Triage service | |
Det Con Steve White, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "It's a real catch-22. More people have mental health problems than there are staff to deal with them. | |
"A lot of the time, the assessor says 'This person isn't severe enough to be admitted' so we have to release them. But the patient still feels they want treatment and is determined to get help, so goes out and either commits a crime or goes and stands on the top of a cliff in a suicide attempt, as a cry for help to get the attention and treatment that they feel they need." | |
He said there were not enough resources or funding for mental health so police were becoming the "last resort". | |
"We had a time when we did a lot of community projects to prevent crimes from happening, now we are really just firefighting and reacting to crimes when they occur," he added. | |
Policing organisations said it was important to ensure those detained were assessed quickly in a health-based setting and proper training was vital. | |
The Home Office said it was working on various measures, including a pilot of street triage services where mental health nurses accompany police to incidents. | |
But one mental health charity blamed government policy for reducing the number of psychiatric beds and staff, putting pressure on overstretched crisis teams. | |
"[It] is unfair on both the person who urgently needs care, not confinement, and the police themselves, who are being forced to pick up the pieces," said Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of Sane. |