Policing the Mentally Ill: Addressing the challenge in NSW Police Force

Victoria Herrington; Isabelle Bartkowiak

Policing the Mentally Ill: Addressing the challenge in NSW Police Force

Victoria Herrington, Isabelle Bartkowiak

Research output: Book chapter/Published conference paper › Conference paper › peer-review

Abstract

As a consequence of their 24-7 availability, police tend to be thefirst responders to many non-crime incidents, including thoseinvolving the welfare of people with a mentally illness. Policeattendance at incidents involving mental health consumers hasincreased in recent years. In 2007 New South Wales Policeresponded to approximately 21,000 such calls, an increasefrom 18,000 in 2004.There are concerns from police and consumer advocacy groupsabout the appropriateness of this response. In January 2008 theNSW Police Force commenced a pilot program to train a numberof Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) officers in betterdealing with individuals suffering from mental health relatedsymptoms (particularly those in crises) to improve police capacityto respond efficiently and safely to such incidents. This paperpresents the NSW Police MHIT model and its evaluation againstthe backdrop of international best practice in the field.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Criminology
Subtitle of host publication	Linking theory, policy and practice
Place of Publication	Australia
Publisher	ANZSOC
Pages	54
Number of pages	1
Publication status	Published - 2008
Event	Annual Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology Conference - Canberra, ACT, Australia Duration: 26 Nov 2008 → 28 Nov 2008

Conference

Conference	Annual Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology Conference
Country	Australia
Period	26/11/08 → 28/11/08

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Cite this

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title = "Policing the Mentally Ill: Addressing the challenge in NSW Police Force",

abstract = "As a consequence of their 24-7 availability, police tend to be thefirst responders to many non-crime incidents, including thoseinvolving the welfare of people with a mentally illness. Policeattendance at incidents involving mental health consumers hasincreased in recent years. In 2007 New South Wales Policeresponded to approximately 21,000 such calls, an increasefrom 18,000 in 2004.There are concerns from police and consumer advocacy groupsabout the appropriateness of this response. In January 2008 theNSW Police Force commenced a pilot program to train a numberof Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) officers in betterdealing with individuals suffering from mental health relatedsymptoms (particularly those in crises) to improve police capacityto respond efficiently and safely to such incidents. This paperpresents the NSW Police MHIT model and its evaluation againstthe backdrop of international best practice in the field.",

author = "Victoria Herrington and Isabelle Bartkowiak",

note = "Imported on 03 May 2017 - DigiTool details were: publisher = Australia: ANZSOC, 2008. Event dates (773o) = 26-28 November 2008; Parent title (773t) = Annual Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology Conference.; Annual Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology Conference ; Conference date: 26-11-2008 Through 28-11-2008",

year = "2008",

language = "English",

pages = "54",

booktitle = "Criminology",

publisher = "ANZSOC",

}

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T2 - Annual Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology Conference

AU - Herrington, Victoria

AU - Bartkowiak, Isabelle

N1 - Imported on 03 May 2017 - DigiTool details were: publisher = Australia: ANZSOC, 2008. Event dates (773o) = 26-28 November 2008; Parent title (773t) = Annual Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology Conference.

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - As a consequence of their 24-7 availability, police tend to be thefirst responders to many non-crime incidents, including thoseinvolving the welfare of people with a mentally illness. Policeattendance at incidents involving mental health consumers hasincreased in recent years. In 2007 New South Wales Policeresponded to approximately 21,000 such calls, an increasefrom 18,000 in 2004.There are concerns from police and consumer advocacy groupsabout the appropriateness of this response. In January 2008 theNSW Police Force commenced a pilot program to train a numberof Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) officers in betterdealing with individuals suffering from mental health relatedsymptoms (particularly those in crises) to improve police capacityto respond efficiently and safely to such incidents. This paperpresents the NSW Police MHIT model and its evaluation againstthe backdrop of international best practice in the field.

AB - As a consequence of their 24-7 availability, police tend to be thefirst responders to many non-crime incidents, including thoseinvolving the welfare of people with a mentally illness. Policeattendance at incidents involving mental health consumers hasincreased in recent years. In 2007 New South Wales Policeresponded to approximately 21,000 such calls, an increasefrom 18,000 in 2004.There are concerns from police and consumer advocacy groupsabout the appropriateness of this response. In January 2008 theNSW Police Force commenced a pilot program to train a numberof Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) officers in betterdealing with individuals suffering from mental health relatedsymptoms (particularly those in crises) to improve police capacityto respond efficiently and safely to such incidents. This paperpresents the NSW Police MHIT model and its evaluation againstthe backdrop of international best practice in the field.

M3 - Conference paper

SP - 54

BT - Criminology

PB - ANZSOC

CY - Australia

Y2 - 26 November 2008 through 28 November 2008

ER -