Police unveil plan to reduce mental health calls

Police plan to begin withdrawing from every mental health call from November, prioritizing incidents where there is an immediate risk to life and safety.

Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said from November 1, officers will begin the transition.

Police had formally notified Health New Zealand and other stakeholders of their intention to be fully involved in the changes by September 2025.

“Mental health needs accounted for 11 percent of calls to our Emergency Communications Center in the year to May 2024,” Coster said.

“Police receive one mental health-related call every seven minutes, taking up almost half a million hours of front-line police time a year.

“Of those incidents, only five percent had a criminal element and 11 percent of the calls were coded P1 and given priority response.”

It was inconsistent and prevented police from keeping other public spaces safe, Coster said.

“It affects our ability to provide basic policing services.”

The volume of mental health calls also created bottlenecks at Emergency Communication Centers, meaning they could not respond to every call quickly.

Police will continue to respond to mental health incidents with immediate health and safety risks, he said.

Vacancies in mental health workers

Health New Zealand chief executive Margie Apa said the agency and the Ministry of Health were working with police to manage the transition “safely”.

However, he pointed out that the continuing gaps in mental health are creating other problems.

“As health organizations, our interest is to improve access to mental health services for people who need them in a timely manner, while ensuring the health and safety needs of our employees , patients and their whānau continue to be reached.

“It’s all about finding the right balance.”

Ensuring the transition was managed safely for people in need of mental health services, staff and the public was a priority for Health NZ, the Ministry and the Police, Apa said.

Health NZ worked with medical professionals, ED representatives, health and safety experts, security staff and others to put in place a robust operational plan.

“One of the factors we will need to take into account as part of our transition plan is the shortage of mental health workers.”

The one-year transformation program announced today was part of a broader five-year transformation plan that is ongoing to move the multi-agency response to 111 calls, less reliance for example run by the Police.

The plan included several measures, such as improving the response of telephone services and peer support to emergency departments.

‘They are not criminals’ – Minister

Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said the changes were the first step in a transformation towards a stronger mental health response for those suffering.

“This Government is committed to improving mental health outcomes for New Zealanders. For too long, those seeking crisis support have often been met by a uniformed officer, which can cause more suffering,” he said.

“People with mental health problems are not criminals. Those who seek help deserve a mental health response, not a criminal justice response.”

Police Minister Mark Mitchell says the huge increase in mental health demand when police are the first point of call is “no longer sustainable”.

“I want to thank our police officers who do an outstanding job with great compassion, but are not trained mental health professionals.

“Ultimately, we want to ensure that people get the right care, at the right time, from the right people, and that our frontline officers have more time to focus on core policing and providing the services expected of them to keep the public safe.”

Government is playing Russian Roulette – Ingrid Leary

The Labor Party said the change would put lives at risk.

Mental health spokeswoman Ingrid Leary said Doocey should ask the police to remain involved in all 111 calls “until they can ensure that safety will not be compromised”.

“Matt Doocey is playing Russian Roulette by agreeing to introduce a new emergency response system for mental health calls that does not involve the police before he has all the pieces in place to ensure the safety of people and first responders ,” he said.

“A multi-agency response may prove to be the right way to go – yet agreeing to jump into a new system without police, or adequate data, adequate mental health staff, support finances and public education is dangerous and shows the minister is out of his depth.

Four stages

Phase 1: 1 November

Emergency departments – Police will leave immediately after handing over to the clinic staff while the person is waiting for a voluntary mental health evaluation.

High level of mental health transport applications

Attendance at mental health facilities is highly dependent

Phase 2: January to March 2025

60 minute ED handovers – Police who have taken a person detained under the Mental Health Act for assessment will stay for one hour before leaving unless they think there is an immediate danger to life or safety.

Mental health care regulations upheld – Police do not consider suites to be an appropriate place for mental health evaluations.

Applause laws will ensure that people in distress are not unnecessarily screened in police custody.

Phase 3: April to June 2025

Requests for help from doctors – Our new facility will ensure that Police are not unnecessarily diverted to mental health work by doctors

Missing Mental Health patients – police want a “more accurate model” of searching for missing patients in mental health facilities and hospitals, which does not initially involve the Police.

Phase 4: July to September 2025

15 minute handover to ED – Where the police have detained a person under the Mental Health Act and taken him to the ED for a mental health assessment, there will be a handover process between the Police and staff of Health, and Police personnel will leave after 15 minutes, unless they think. there is an immediate threat to life or safety

Social and institutional welfare checks – Police are now more than likely to respond to welfare checks where there is no risk of crime or life or safety.