Mandeville, Manchester — The police should seek help from health specialists rather than simply using the custodial option when dealing with offenders who are obviously mentally ill, says Corporal Melvin Smith of the police safety and security branch.

To that end, Smith wants his colleagues to maintain good relations with mental health specialists and professionals who assist in helping the mentally ill to receive appropriate treatment.

Smith was addressing a conference dubbed ‘Dignity in Mental Health: psychological and mental health first aid for all’ attended by health care workers, members of the education profession and other stakeholders on October 12 at the Mandeville Baptist Church.

He was representing the Manchester police chief, Superintendent Vendolyn Cameron-Powell.

Organised by the Manchester Health Department in collaboration with the Southern Regional Health Authority, the well-attended conference was one of the events held to commemorate Mental Health Week.

Smith noted that there are strict guidelines relating to how the police should treat mentally ill people, among them that “when the police is contacted and a person is reported to be behaving in a way that might suggest they are mentally ill, the police should respond promptly, and special containment equipment such as handcuffs should be used to prevent need for lethal or inappropriate force”.

He added that “the individual should be taken immediately to the nearest designated medical facility for proper medical/psychiatric evaluation and if the mentally ill person commits a criminal offence and is placed in a lock-up, a mental health officer should be contacted to do an assessment on the person”.

Mayor of Mandeville Councillor Brenda Ramsay urged conference participants to “contribute to taking mental health out of the shadows so that people can feel more comfortable in addressing the stigma, isolation and discrimination that have been associated with mental health conditions over the years”.

Leroy Mitchell, councillor/caretaker for the Walderston Division who operates a garage, gave personal testimony of dealing with a mentally ill person. He told of a mechanic on his staff who, after a bout with mental illness, returned to work. Mitchell said a customer told him that the employee should not work on his vehicle.

According to Mitchell, because of the employee’s expertise and the time allotted, he had no option but to allow him to do the job.

On completion, when the customer found out who had done the job, he reversed his position and said that in future the mechanic whose competence he had earlier questioned should be the only one assigned to his vehicle.