Police withdrawal from mental health jobs dangerous for workers and patients - PSA
New Zealand's public service union is criticizing a policy change that reduces police presence during mental health emergency callouts. While police argue the change allows them to focus on core public safety duties, the union warns it increases risks for both health workers and patients.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing debate regarding the role of law enforcement in mental health crises and the strain on public health resources.
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The public service union says moving to the next stage of police's withdrawal from mental-health-related jobs is dangerous for health workers and patients.
Health New Zealand and police said handover times between police officers and mental health workers at emergency departments would be moved from 60 to 30 minutes - rather than 15 minutes as was initially proposed.
This was the fourth and final phase of a gradual move away from police dealing with mental health issues, which started in 2024.
The rollout had been delayed , after concerns were raised by unions and the Mental Health Foundation.
Public Service Association (PSA) national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said the changes were "dangerous" and should be scrapped .
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