Operational response: Policing persons with mental illness in Australia
| DOI | 10.1177/26338076221094385 |
| Published date | 01 June 2022 |
| Date | 01 June 2022 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Operational response: Policing
persons with mental illness in
Australia
Toby Miles-Johnson
School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University, Liverpool,
Australia
Matthew Morgan
School of Justice, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane,
Australia
Abstract
Across the globe, policing persons with mental illness (PWMI) in crisis involves significant
police work. Police must respond effectively to individuals whose behaviour and language
are often erratic, and who may be intoxicated or experiencing psychosis. In Australia, police
are often criticised for inappropriately handling mental health crises in the community and for
differentially policing PWMI in crisis. To better understand Australian police response to
PWMI in crisis, this study conducted interviews with 25 operational police officers working
in one of the largest Australian state police organisations. The findings indicate that police
response to PWMI in crisis is underpinned by trial-and-error practices, because officers are
insufficiently trained to manage PWMI in crisis, and police are resistant to accept tasks con-
sidered ‘welfare work’.Officers are also relieved when response to PWMI in crisis includes
mental health practitioners. We argue that whilst the availability of interagency schemes in
Australia is generally restricted to metropolitan areas, effective policing response to PWMI
in crisis should include a collaborative response between police and mental health
practitioners.
Keywords
Co-response, mental illness, policing, response, training
Date received: 30 November 2021; accepted: 30 March 2022
Corresponding author:
Matthew Morgan, School of Justice, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4059, Australia.
Email: matthew.morgan@qut.edu.au
Article
Journal of Criminology
2022, Vol. 55(2) 260–281
© The Author(s) 2022
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/26338076221094385
journals.sagepub.com/home/anj
Introduction
The process of deinstitutionalisation of mental health services across Australia in the late 20th
century is argued to have over-burdened the police acting as first responders to persons with
mental illness (PWMI) suffering crises
1
in the community. It has also increased the need for
police response (Kruger, 2020). Yet research suggests that police operational practices used
to address the complex needs of PWMI during police–citizen engagement are incompatible
and unsuitable (Gooding, 2017). Whilst Australian police officers are legally obliged to
respond to mental health-related calls, they often respond to these calls unassisted by appropri-
ate service providers, such as paramedics, social workers and other health care providers
(Senate Select Committee on Mental Health, 2006).
This is not to suggest that co-responder models do not exist in Australia. The New South
Wales Police Force, for example, piloted the ‘Mental Health Intervention Team’in 2007 as
a response initiative with other Australian health-related agencies to meet the complex chal-
lenges posed by mental health policing. Whilst this has been an ongoing collaborative endeav-
our between police and health-related industry partners, it was not until 2017, following a
coronial inquest into the fatal shootings of five PWMI by Australian police when officers
were called to respond to separate incidents of people experiencing crises, that many other
Australian police organisations changed their policing response to include non-aggressive
policing tactics when responding to PWMI (Ryan, 2017). Critics of police response to
PWMI in crisis, however, argue that differential police response, and a lack of awareness
and understanding regarding PWMI, is often identified as being at the centre of the problem
(Bradbury et al., 2017).
Whilst most PWMI do not interact or engage with police daily, it is estimated that Australian
police officers can spend anywhere between 10% and 30% of their time involved in the man-
agement of these individuals for a variety of reasons. These reasons may include police search-
ing for PWMI who have absconded from psychiatric services, connecting them to mental
health services, as well as responding to their mental health crises (Kruger, 2020). PWMI self-
define their mental health crises as ‘uncontrollable feelings of extreme distress, fear and des-
peration’, which can lead to the risk of suicide, self-harm or harm to others
2
(Gooding,
2017). Yet there is a lack of consensus amongst police organisations and mental health clini-
cians regarding appropriate communication tactics for interacting with PWMI whose behaviour
and language are often erratic and who may be intoxicated or experiencing psychosis
(Bradbury et al., 2017). It is also argued that across Australia, a third of fatal police shootings
may involve PWMI in crisis (Gooding, 2017), and whilst police shootings in Australia are rare,
they indicate that responding to people in crisis is challenging for police.
This study, therefore, assesses operational police practices in relation to police response and
PWMI in crisis. Semi-structured interviews with 25 general duties police officers were con-
ducted with officers working in one of the largest Australian state police organisations
(de-identified for ethics reasons) to analyse how police respond to PWMI in crisis. This
research offers original insight into a previously under-researched area.
Literature review
In Australia, the police are legally obliged to provide a 24/7 service when responding to calls
for service involving PWMI in crisis in the community (Asquith & Bartkowiak-Théron, 2017).
Miles-Johnson and Morgan 261
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