HMIC Report: We can’t just turn our back on those that need us

POLICE officers cannot just turn their backs on mental health cases, even though it’s placing a real strain on force resources, the Chairman of Essex Police Federation has said.

Steve Taylor says a new report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) which suggests that officers are ‘overstretched having to deal with mental health’ was welcome, if a little late.

“You’d struggle to call it timely,” he said.

“And it’s a position we’re aware of, well-rehearsed in. The fact that it’s getting recognition at that level, we’ve got to welcome that eventually.

“Like we’ve mentioned time and time again, it’s a factor that officers are all too aware of and well versed in, trying to strike that balance between genuine calls for help from those in our community that need us.

“An officer might not be the best person to completely resolve that problem but equally we can’t simply turn our backs on those in the community that need us.

“We are learning how to strike that balance, but a real important piece of that puzzle is making sure we’ve got adequate local provision for those in mental health crisis. How much of that is in our control?”

Officers can’t say no, he added, and that making those sorts of decisions shouldn’t be down to them in the first place.

“Professionally they’re put in jeopardy, and I’d go as far as saying it’s not the officer-on-the-street’s job to say ‘no’, he said.

“There’s a series of command and control in place and officers should be able to have confidence that if it gets to them then it’s gone through the proper checks and that opportunities to safely pass it to other partners have been taken and exhausted.

“We don’t want officers-on-the-streets turning around and saying, ‘no, actually I think you’ll find there’s a new policy’.

“In so doing they expose themselves to professional risk and I’d rather officers go to the job and if it turns out they shouldn’t have gone to it in the first place we’ll learn those lessons for next time.

“What we can do is remain professional in our dealing with our partners and try not to point the finger unduly at others who are in an equally precarious position.”