Dorset PCC says police hours could be saved by avoiding some callouts
David Sidwick thinks officers shouldn't attend all hospital or mental health incidents
Thousands of hours of Dorset police time are likely to be saved by not attending some types of call.
These will include requests from local hospital and some mental health incidents – although police will continue to respond where there is a risk of violence or harm.
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick says that for too long uniformed officers have been the first port of call for a range of incidents which, he says, are better dealt with by other professionals.
He cited examples where two police officers spent 16 hours with a person who had fallen, possibly sustaining a broken hip, and calls to hospitals where a patient had gone missing from their bed.
In one case, after a search, had only popped out for a cigarette.
He said all of the county’s main hospitals were among the places where there were frequent calls to the police.
Mr Sidwick said that nationally over 5% of all calls were related to mental health issues, 54 every hour, with Dorset Police logging 8,254 incidents relating to people with mental health issues in 2023/24, and over 30,000 ‘concern for safety calls between November 2022 and October 2023.
He said that a policy of ‘right care – right person’ was now being rolled out in phases which was expected to save 2,700 officer hours each year, from the first two phases, with two further phases to go:
“I’m very clear that Dorset Police must focus on their core policing duties … Dorset police need to focus on their core business, especially in times of financial constraint.
"More importantly in a mental health crisis the last person you want to see is a police office, which can exacerbate the trauma. It has to be the right care at the right time… I’m very proud we are moving it forward in Dorset” he told the county’s Police and Crime Panel, adding that so far there had not been an increase in complaints over the policy to his in box.
The Commissioner acknowledged that the change might have impacts on the NHS in Dorset and could lead to it re-designing some services, with extra costs.
“More money for mental health would be something which I think we would all be grateful for,” he said.
He said that the changes were being implemented in partnership with the NHS and others as a result of ongoing discussions, with sufficient time being allowed for the changes to take place.
“I think it’s exciting. I think it can make a real difference,” he said.