A WA parliamentary question seeks data on mental health escorts by police, specifically regarding apprehensions under the Mental Health Act and assaults on officers. The response cites data limitations and resource constraints, deferring some aspects to the Attorney General.

AnsweredQoN 867Legislative Council
Asked
21 October 2010
Portfolio
Police

QuestionView source ↗

MENTAL HEALTH — ESCORTS BY POLICE
Of the 382 mental health escorts to hospital undertaken in the 12 months to 1 October this year — (1) How many involved apprehension of an individual under provisions of the Mental Health Act? (2) Did any of them result in an assault of the escorting police and subsequent charge of the mentally ill patient under escort with a charge that attracted a mandatory sentence? (3) Did any of them result in an assault of the escorting police and subsequent charge of the mentally ill patient under escort with any other charge that did not attract a mandatory sentence? Hon PETER COLLIER

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) Apprehension figures would not identify mentally ill persons. (2)–(3) The responses required for these would take a significant amount of time to collate due to the inability to link the computer-aided dispatch and incident management system data. The Commissioner of Police has advised that he is not prepared to divert valuable resources away from core policing activities. Mandatory sentencing results will need to be provided by the Department of the Attorney General.
(1) How many involved apprehension of an individual under provisions of the Mental Health Act? (2) Did any of them result in an assault of the escorting police and subsequent charge of the mentally ill patient under escort with a charge that attracted a mandatory sentence? (3) Did any of them result in an assault of the escorting police and subsequent charge of the mentally ill patient under escort with any other charge that did not attract a mandatory sentence? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) Apprehension figures would not identify mentally ill persons. (2)–(3) The responses required for these would take a significant amount of time to collate due to the inability to link the computer-aided dispatch and incident management system data. The Commissioner of Police has advised that he is not prepared to divert valuable resources away from core policing activities. Mandatory sentencing results will need to be provided by the Department of the Attorney General.
(2) Did any of them result in an assault of the escorting police and subsequent charge of the mentally ill patient under escort with a charge that attracted a mandatory sentence? (3) Did any of them result in an assault of the escorting police and subsequent charge of the mentally ill patient under escort with any other charge that did not attract a mandatory sentence? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) Apprehension figures would not identify mentally ill persons. (2)–(3) The responses required for these would take a significant amount of time to collate due to the inability to link the computer-aided dispatch and incident management system data. The Commissioner of Police has advised that he is not prepared to divert valuable resources away from core policing activities. Mandatory sentencing results will need to be provided by the Department of the Attorney General.
(3) Did any of them result in an assault of the escorting police and subsequent charge of the mentally ill patient under escort with any other charge that did not attract a mandatory sentence? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) Apprehension figures would not identify mentally ill persons. (2)–(3) The responses required for these would take a significant amount of time to collate due to the inability to link the computer-aided dispatch and incident management system data. The Commissioner of Police has advised that he is not prepared to divert valuable resources away from core policing activities. Mandatory sentencing results will need to be provided by the Department of the Attorney General.
Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) Apprehension figures would not identify mentally ill persons. (2)–(3) The responses required for these would take a significant amount of time to collate due to the inability to link the computer-aided dispatch and incident management system data. The Commissioner of Police has advised that he is not prepared to divert valuable resources away from core policing activities. Mandatory sentencing results will need to be provided by the Department of the Attorney General.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) Apprehension figures would not identify mentally ill persons. (2)–(3) The responses required for these would take a significant amount of time to collate due to the inability to link the computer-aided dispatch and incident management system data. The Commissioner of Police has advised that he is not prepared to divert valuable resources away from core policing activities. Mandatory sentencing results will need to be provided by the Department of the Attorney General.
(1) Apprehension figures would not identify mentally ill persons. (2)–(3) The responses required for these would take a significant amount of time to collate due to the inability to link the computer-aided dispatch and incident management system data. The Commissioner of Police has advised that he is not prepared to divert valuable resources away from core policing activities. Mandatory sentencing results will need to be provided by the Department of the Attorney General.
(2)–(3) The responses required for these would take a significant amount of time to collate due to the inability to link the computer-aided dispatch and incident management system data. The Commissioner of Police has advised that he is not prepared to divert valuable resources away from core policing activities. Mandatory sentencing results will need to be provided by the Department of the Attorney General.

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