‘It’s not getting them the support they need’: Exploratory research of police officers’ experiences of community mental health
| Author | Emma Tarpey,Vicky Lamb |
| Published date | 01 December 2019 |
| Date | 01 December 2019 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X18812006 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
‘It’s not getting them the
support they need’:
Exploratory research
of police officers’ experiences
of community mental health
Vicky Lamb and Emma Tarpey
Psychology Department, Manchester Metropolitan University,
Manchester, UK
Abstract
Police officers are first responders in a role which not only encompasses crime, but also
increasing welfare issues. Issues have been highlighted with officers ‘detaining’ those with
mental health difficulties and the impact that this process can have upon all involved.
However, there appears to be a shift towards a police-health nexus. An exploratory
study interviewed ten UK police officers with a view to understanding officers’
experiences of working with people with mental health difficulties and the availability of
training for this role. With increasing demands to support people with mental health
concerns, alongside a reduction in officer numbers, thematic analysis highlighted three
themes: Support, Impact on the Officer and Understanding Mental Health. Increasing
demands, a lack of training and limited multi-agency working were experienced by
officers. However, officer-to-officer support was strong. Recommendations are made to
increase collaborative multi-agency working and review the role of police officers as first
responders in mental health crises.
Keywords
Community policing, mental health, section 136, officers’ experiences
Corresponding author:
Vicky Lamb, Assistant Psychologist, Mental Health Department, First Floor Fleming House, Rampton Hospital,
Retford, DN22 0PD, UK.
Email: vickylamb04@hotmail.co.uk
The Police Journal:
Theory, Practice and Principles
2019, Vol. 92(4) 277–295
ªThe Author(s) 2018
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/0032258X18812006
journals.sagepub.com/home/pjx
Introduction
This study aims to explore police officers’ experiences of working with people with
mental health difficulties and the availability of training for this role. The UK’s policing
role is defined in the police service’s Statement of Common Purpose (Newburn, 2003):
The purpose of the police service is to uphold the law fairly and firmly; to prevent crime; to
pursue and bring to justice those who break the law; to keep the Queen’s peace; to protect,
help and reassure the community; and to be seen to do this with integrity, common sense and
sound judgement.
Whilstthis definition remains, police roles have evolved over the years, from the
traditional models of policing in the past, where concerns were raised about out-
dated practice, equipment and organisational structure, to policy-led modernisation
and extensive cost improvements following the financial crisis of 2007–2008 (Hall,
2015). 2011 saw a 20%reduction in UK police forces’ finances (Shaw, 2015),
meaning a decrease in officer numbers by 14%(35,000) in 2010–2014 (College of
Policing, CoP, 2015). In the meantime, reports (CoP, 2015) indicate that police
incidents involving mental health concerns are increasing. One example comes
from the Metropolitan Police Service, who reported a 2%increase in calls
‘flagged’ as involving mental health concerns (2011–2012; CoP, 2015). Further-
more, estimated figures suggest 15–25%of police work links to mental health
concerns; work which is estimated to take around 20%of police time (Adebowale,
2013). This highlights a concern about reducing officer numbers and increasing
welfare issues. Furthermore, there appears to be a slight shift in police practice
from the definition highlighted in the police service’s Statement of Common Pur-
pose, now with a focus on welfare, alongside crime. This change in police practice,
alongside a reduction in officer numbers, may increase demands placed on officers,
which may affect the officers’ experience of their roles. There is limited research
into officers’ experiences working with people in mental distress. However, this
has been widely researched for health professionals working with this population.
Edwards et al.’s (2000) review of the literature indicated that health professionals
working as part of community mental health teams are experiencing increasing
levels of stress and burnout as a result of increasing workloads, increasing admin-
istration and a lack of resources.
One area where police work has increased is the number of section 136 (s. 136)
cases they work with, with an increase in detentions under s. 136 from 14,902 to 22,965
since 2011/12 to 2015/16 (Health and Social Care Information Centre, HSCIC, 2016).
Under s. 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 UK, if a person is deemed to be at serious
risk of harm to themselves or others, police officers have the power to detain them in a
public place and take them to a place of safety (PoS), i.e. a hospital or police station.
Concerns have been raised about the experiences of patients being detained in police
stations, with police being criticised for lacking awareness of mental illness and lack-
ing the skills required to support these individuals, resulting in patients feeling ‘crim-
inalised’ (Bradley, 2009; Riley et al., 2011; Wright, 2014). In addition, research
278 The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles 92(4)
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