Every week Kevin publishes his very own Kev’s Column on line, this week he takes a look at the issue of mental health patients being held in Police Custody:
Last week the media was full of news that a 16 year old girl was being held in a Custody Cell by Devon & Cornwall Police not in connection with an offence, but because she was unwell.
The Police powers to detain someone who is suffering from a mental health issue should always be the last resort and for the shortest time possible. Who would accept the idea that someone suffering from a physical injury should be kept in a police cell whilst awaiting treatment because the hospital was busy? It is hard to imagine anyone’s state of mental-health is going to be improved by an evening being held in a Police Station, regardless of their age.
Whilst it presented challenging headlines I believe the Police were absolutely right to speak out about the situation and highlight the problem they had in finding a bed for this vulnerable person. Whilst they did take care of her to the best of their ability a prison cell is not a hospital bed. It also means Police resources were tied up providing a health care service rather than their main role of fighting crime.
Whilst the age of this person attracted attention in the last year 750 people have been detained by Devon and Cornwall Police alone for mental health issues. Being detained initially is one thing, it is where they end up after detention. Custody cells may be secure, but by their nature they are austere and depressing places. It is also safe to say that some of the other “occupants” may be far from well behaved when they arrive.
Since last week’s case airedon regional TV a number of people have been in touch to share their experiences of the Mental Health system in the bay. I have also had others in touch rightly outraged that whatever the individual circumstances a 16 year old ended up in custody overnight for being unwell. I agree and the services involved must look at what can be done to prevent this in future.
There should be clear time limits as to how long someone can be detained in Police custody for a mental health issue. The girl in question was held for longer than would have been possible had she been arrested for a criminal offence without appearing before a court.
A Police Cell cannot be a replacement for a hospital bed, it should only be a last resort to keep someone safe for a very short period pending an assessment.