Summary

A growing and demanding area of modern policing is responding to 999 and 101 calls to attend incidents which may involve a vulnerable person with mental health issues. These calls take a very substantial amount of police officer time. There are a number of sound and important policing reasons to attend such calls, such as:

Protecting public safety: When a person with mental health issues is in crisis, they may become a danger to themselves or others. In such situations, the police, as the first responder, can ensure public safety by intervening and providing assistance;

Supporting individuals in crisis: Police Officers are trained to de-escalate volatile situations and can provide immediate support to individuals experiencing mental health crises; often then connecting individuals with appropriate services and resources for longer term support; and

Reducing stigma: By responding to mental health related calls for service the police can help reduce stigma and promote a more equal, diverse and inclusive society; ultimately improving outcomes for individuals and communities as a whole.

Police Scotland are developing key strategies and approaches to ensure the most efficient use of police officer time and skills. This includes:

Creating an effective cross service triage at the point calls are received;

Developing protocols to directly transfer calls to an appropriate service on triage;

Where officers are dispatched, creating agreed processes to allow a rapid handover to an appropriate service;

Having access to appropriate health service support in custody suites; and

Using police data and analysis to improve partnership working with civic and civil society to create a person focused response.

These are explained in more detail in this information note.

Overall, responding to calls for service for people with mental health issues is an important part of the police's role in promoting public safety and supporting the wellbeing of vulnerable individuals in Scotland.