Handling increasing numbers of call-outs for suicide prevention and mental health issues is still a grey area for police
Handling increasing numbers of call-outs for suicide prevention and mental health issues is still a grey area for police
20 November 2018
This comes after the Independent Police Conduct Authority cleared Queenstown police of wrongdoing for illegally detaining a man believed to be a suicide risk.
Police National harm prevention manager Eric Tibbott says police often have to work in this undefined area - but they do their best to keep people safe.
He says people legislation assumes mental health workers will be the first responders, but in reality police are often called first.
Tibbott says this means police have to walk a fine line between their lawful authority and what their moral compass tells them.
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