Steve Watt: Police Association President on the beginning of phase three of the Mental Health Callout Changes programme

The police union is confident the health sector can pick up the remainder of mental health callouts.  

Now there's new guidance to determine if Police are needed when health workers request non-emergency assistance or when people go missing from health facilities. 

It will free up roughly half-a-million policing hours every year.  

Police Association President Steve Watt told Andrew Dickens the new approach has been introduced in phases.  

He says it gives Health New Zealand the time to ensure it can fill in the gaps Police leave. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So Police and Health New Zealand are pressing ahead with
phase three of their mental health response changes, shifting more
responsibility onto health teams and away from police, and it
means that police will no longer be involved in mental
health callouts eventually, unless there is an immediate safety risk.
So I'm joined now by Steve Watt, who is the
Police Association President GADATA.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Steve Marina.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
Is this whole scheme working the slow withdrawal?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Look, it absolutely is and it's a good news story
for not only our members but members of the public
and also those that are suffering from mental health issues
about getting the response that they need, which is mental
health clinicians. And that's alleviating the pressure being put on
place so we can spend more time out there doing
what we do best.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
The fear is that we're going to end out with
some people being left behind.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
Are they No, not at all, And that's why this
has been a phased approach to allow Health New Zealand
to head the services of bail so that as we
slowly withdraw from this mental health arena, the services are
in place so that no one's getting left behind.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
Our officers relieved at the changes.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Oh, absolutely you know, it frees up roughly half a
million police hours each year that we're spent responding to
mental health call outs. So that's time that can be
better spent elsewhere within the community doing what we do best.

Speaker 1 (01:27):
So what happens the first time someone harms himself and
police weren't there to respond. Do you think that responsibility
should rely on the police?

Speaker 2 (01:37):
No? Look, we'll always turn up to those jobs where
life is in danger or being threatened, so there's no
you know, there's a reduced risk that we are still
there to respond to those jobs that require us.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
All right, And police are now not automatically involved in
missing persons from mental health facilities, So how does that
pose a risk to the community.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
No, not at all, look, and it's not actually withdrawing
from that. There's still a process in place where those
missing persons from mental health can be reported to us.
We'll make an assessment as to whether our services are
required or not, so there is still the ability there
to have police respond in those circumstances.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
All right, Well, Steve, carry on with the good work,
and I thank you for your time today. Steve, what
is the Association? The Police Association President? For more from
Early Edition with Ryan Bridge.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
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