Investment v impact in policing and mental health: What works for police and suspects

Abstract

Police officers' encounters with people experiencing mental health (MH) problems can be particularly challenging for both parties. For many people with MH issues, these encounters are influenced by having previously had a negative experience with the police or fear of being blamed or not believed because they have MH problems. Research into the impact of police interactions at the arrest and initial detention points in the criminal justice process reveals a mix of sometimes-conflicting findings. Related studies have shown that police interventions involving individuals with mental health issues and suspected of minor offences are more likely to lead to these individuals being arrested. This chapter discusses the current interventions and investments in England. The most common interventions used in England at the health and justice interface, including contact with police officers, are Liaison and Diversion, embedded staff in police Command and Control Rooms (CCRs), Street Triage (ST) as an extension of police CCR and ST provided as a separate service. The chapter also discusses the evidence for effectiveness and return on investment of current interventions, positive impacts of current interventions and investments in England, and the evidence for effectiveness, cost benefit and return on investment of Crisis Intervention Team. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: create)