❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice addresses the funding of mental health escorts by police, questioning whether it's adequately funded and raising concerns about using untrained security guards. The response clarifies that police are mandated to perform these escorts and the costs are covered within their existing budget.
AnsweredQoN 584Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE — MENTAL HEALTH ESCORTS
I refer to evidence given recently to the Standing Committee on Estimates and Financial Operations by the Commissioner of Police that WA Police completed more than 2 000 mental health escorts for a total recorded tasking time of nearly 11 000 man hours, at a cost of almost $500 000, last financial year, with these figures not taking into account the cost of overtime, accommodation, meals and vehicle running costs. (1) Does the minister accept that mental health escort and transport is a specialist service that requires proper funding? (2) Has WA Police been funded to deliver this service? (3) If no to (2), will the minister now fund the police to deliver escort and transport of people with a mental illness, rather than put them at risk of having this service done by untrained security guards? (4) If no to (3), why not? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY
I refer to evidence given recently to the Standing Committee on Estimates and Financial Operations by the Commissioner of Police that WA Police completed more than 2 000 mental health escorts for a total recorded tasking time of nearly 11 000 man hours, at a cost of almost $500 000, last financial year, with these figures not taking into account the cost of overtime, accommodation, meals and vehicle running costs. (1) Does the minister accept that mental health escort and transport is a specialist service that requires proper funding? (2) Has WA Police been funded to deliver this service? (3) If no to (2), will the minister now fund the police to deliver escort and transport of people with a mental illness, rather than put them at risk of having this service done by untrained security guards? (4) If no to (3), why not? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question, and I respond on behalf of the Minister for Energy. (1)–(4) Pursuant to the Mental Health Act 1996, police officers are the only persons authorised to conduct mental health escorts and, as such, costs associated with police undertaking this function are funded from the WA Police operating budget.
(1) Does the minister accept that mental health escort and transport is a specialist service that requires proper funding? (2) Has WA Police been funded to deliver this service? (3) If no to (2), will the minister now fund the police to deliver escort and transport of people with a mental illness, rather than put them at risk of having this service done by untrained security guards? (4) If no to (3), why not? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question, and I respond on behalf of the Minister for Energy. (1)–(4) Pursuant to the Mental Health Act 1996, police officers are the only persons authorised to conduct mental health escorts and, as such, costs associated with police undertaking this function are funded from the WA Police operating budget.
(2) Has WA Police been funded to deliver this service? (3) If no to (2), will the minister now fund the police to deliver escort and transport of people with a mental illness, rather than put them at risk of having this service done by untrained security guards? (4) If no to (3), why not? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question, and I respond on behalf of the Minister for Energy. (1)–(4) Pursuant to the Mental Health Act 1996, police officers are the only persons authorised to conduct mental health escorts and, as such, costs associated with police undertaking this function are funded from the WA Police operating budget.
(3) If no to (2), will the minister now fund the police to deliver escort and transport of people with a mental illness, rather than put them at risk of having this service done by untrained security guards? (4) If no to (3), why not? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question, and I respond on behalf of the Minister for Energy. (1)–(4) Pursuant to the Mental Health Act 1996, police officers are the only persons authorised to conduct mental health escorts and, as such, costs associated with police undertaking this function are funded from the WA Police operating budget.
(4) If no to (3), why not? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question, and I respond on behalf of the Minister for Energy. (1)–(4) Pursuant to the Mental Health Act 1996, police officers are the only persons authorised to conduct mental health escorts and, as such, costs associated with police undertaking this function are funded from the WA Police operating budget.
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question, and I respond on behalf of the Minister for Energy. (1)–(4) Pursuant to the Mental Health Act 1996, police officers are the only persons authorised to conduct mental health escorts and, as such, costs associated with police undertaking this function are funded from the WA Police operating budget.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question, and I respond on behalf of the Minister for Energy. (1)–(4) Pursuant to the Mental Health Act 1996, police officers are the only persons authorised to conduct mental health escorts and, as such, costs associated with police undertaking this function are funded from the WA Police operating budget.
(1)–(4) Pursuant to the Mental Health Act 1996, police officers are the only persons authorised to conduct mental health escorts and, as such, costs associated with police undertaking this function are funded from the WA Police operating budget.
(1) Does the minister accept that mental health escort and transport is a specialist service that requires proper funding? (2) Has WA Police been funded to deliver this service? (3) If no to (2), will the minister now fund the police to deliver escort and transport of people with a mental illness, rather than put them at risk of having this service done by untrained security guards? (4) If no to (3), why not? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question, and I respond on behalf of the Minister for Energy. (1)–(4) Pursuant to the Mental Health Act 1996, police officers are the only persons authorised to conduct mental health escorts and, as such, costs associated with police undertaking this function are funded from the WA Police operating budget.
(2) Has WA Police been funded to deliver this service? (3) If no to (2), will the minister now fund the police to deliver escort and transport of people with a mental illness, rather than put them at risk of having this service done by untrained security guards? (4) If no to (3), why not? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question, and I respond on behalf of the Minister for Energy. (1)–(4) Pursuant to the Mental Health Act 1996, police officers are the only persons authorised to conduct mental health escorts and, as such, costs associated with police undertaking this function are funded from the WA Police operating budget.
(3) If no to (2), will the minister now fund the police to deliver escort and transport of people with a mental illness, rather than put them at risk of having this service done by untrained security guards? (4) If no to (3), why not? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question, and I respond on behalf of the Minister for Energy. (1)–(4) Pursuant to the Mental Health Act 1996, police officers are the only persons authorised to conduct mental health escorts and, as such, costs associated with police undertaking this function are funded from the WA Police operating budget.
(4) If no to (3), why not? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question, and I respond on behalf of the Minister for Energy. (1)–(4) Pursuant to the Mental Health Act 1996, police officers are the only persons authorised to conduct mental health escorts and, as such, costs associated with police undertaking this function are funded from the WA Police operating budget.
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question, and I respond on behalf of the Minister for Energy. (1)–(4) Pursuant to the Mental Health Act 1996, police officers are the only persons authorised to conduct mental health escorts and, as such, costs associated with police undertaking this function are funded from the WA Police operating budget.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question, and I respond on behalf of the Minister for Energy. (1)–(4) Pursuant to the Mental Health Act 1996, police officers are the only persons authorised to conduct mental health escorts and, as such, costs associated with police undertaking this function are funded from the WA Police operating budget.
(1)–(4) Pursuant to the Mental Health Act 1996, police officers are the only persons authorised to conduct mental health escorts and, as such, costs associated with police undertaking this function are funded from the WA Police operating budget.
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