Policing Services With Mentally Ill People: Developing Greater Understanding and Best Practice

Although it is now well known that there is a disproportionate number of people with mental illnesses in the criminal justice system, surprising little attention has been paid to the challenges faced by policing people with mental illnesses in the community. This article provides an overview of some...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Australian psychologist 2013-02, Vol.48 (1), p.57-68
Main Authors: Ogloff, James Rp, Thomas, Stuart Dm, Luebbers, Stefan, Baksheev, Gennady, Elliott, Irina, Godfredson, Joel, Kesic, Dragana, Short, Tamsin, Martin, Trish, Warren, Lisa, Clough, Jonathan, Mullen, Paul E, Wilkins, Catherine, Dickinson, Ashley, Sargent, Leanne, Perez, Eva, Ballek, David, Moore, Emma
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arrest
Attitudes
Crime victims
jail inmates
Mental disorders
Mental health services
Mental illness
offenders
Police
policing
Prisoners
Project PRIMeD (Police Responses to the Interface of Mental Disorder)
Schizophrenia
Use of force
victims
Victoria: Law and legislation
Violence
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Summary:Although it is now well known that there is a disproportionate number of people with mental illnesses in the criminal justice system, surprising little attention has been paid to the challenges faced by policing people with mental illnesses in the community. This article provides an overview of some of the key findings from a programme of research undertaken in Victoria to further understand and develop a best practice model at this interface. The areas covered will include the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and mental illnesses among police cell detainees; the existing knowledge base and attitudes of police towards mentally ill people; the relationship between mental illness and offending; the frequency and nature of police apprehensions of mentally ill people under the Mental Health Act; the association among mental disorder, police shootings, and other injuries to people as a result of these encounters; and police interactions with victims of crime. The work highlights the need for ongoing improvements in policing people with mental illnesses, and particularly the need for improved inter-agency practices for dealing with them.
ISSN:0005-0067
1742-9544
DOI:10.1111/j.1742-9544.2012.00088.x