Valuable Policing Time Lost
A recent report has uncovered that police officers are spending a staggering 800,000 hours annually waiting with mental health patients, diverting valuable policing resources away from other critical tasks.
Surge in Mental Health Callouts
Research shows a significant increase in mental health callouts between 2019 and 2021, with some areas experiencing a more than tripling of incidents. Suffolk Constabulary saw a 342% rise, Norfolk surged by 260%, and Northamptonshire by 90%.
Police as Gap Fillers
Despite the Mental Health Act requiring officers to stay with at-risk individuals for up to 24 hours, a startling 80% of these incidents do not actually necessitate police involvement, leading to a substantial loss of policing time.
Impact on Policing Priorities
The 800,000 hours spent waiting with mental health patients could instead be utilized to tackle 1.3 million reports of antisocial behavior, attend to 500,000 burglaries, or address 400,000 domestic abuse cases, according to analysis by think tank Onward.
Call for Change
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has emphasized the need for a shift in mental health responsibilities back to the NHS through initiatives like Right Care, Right Person. Philp stressed the importance of ensuring that the new Government delivers on these crucial reforms to optimize policing resources.
