PCC plans to ‘bill’ local authorities for ‘unsustainable’ police response to mental health-related calls

Festus Akinbusoye said this would be seen as “somewhat controversial” but it was an area that needs to see “less police involvement”.

Appearing before the Home Affairs Select Committee hearing on policing for the future on Wednesday (November 2), Mr Akinbusoye said: “Policing is one of those roles where it’s very difficult to say ‘no’.

“I know of one or two force areas who are now saying no to responding to mental health-related calls and anecdotally I have been told these have reduced calls by 70 per cent.

“What I am going to do in Bedfordshire, somewhat controversially, is to start sending bills to local authorities and mental health teams every quarter from next year because it is simply becoming unsustainable.

“Nor can it be acceptable for an ambulance to be cancelled because a police officer is at the scene.”

He added: “This is an area where we need more cross-departmental working to address this demand and what I see happening is PCCs and chief constables taking more robust action around mental health-related incidents and children who go missing from care settings.

“In my view those are some of the areas where we need to see less police involvement.”

Mr Akinbusoye, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners prevention lead, appeared alongside National Police Chiefs’ Council chair Martin Hewitt and College of Policing chief executive, Chief Constable Andy Marsh.

He said “quite rightly” they were also asked about the damning His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) report published on Wednesday (November 2), which highlighted a number of concerning findings around vetting, misconduct and misogyny in the police service (see https://www.policeprofessional.com/news/too-easy-for-the-wrong-people-to-join-and-stay-in-the-police-new-report-finds/).

It concluded that police vetting standards were not high enough and it was “too easy for the wrong people to join and stay in the police”.

Mr Akinbusoye said: “Anyone who reads this report will be astounded and I know my PCC colleagues are now asking very scrutinous questions of their chief constables following the publication of this report.

“As PCCs we are investing more money into professional standard departments but will be asking our chief constables about what is going on within their forces and we will be holding them to account for the delivery of the recommendations set out in this report.”

More broadly, the panel was asked about the types of challenges facing the police service today and policing’s priorities, and whether PCCs were seen as a help or a hinderance in setting local priorities.

In response, Mr Hewitt said: “Having local accountability is something we need to have and we have a system in this country where we are operationally independent to do what we do but quite rightly the public need to be able to hold us to account.

“The previous system didn’t work terribly well, and we are now ten years in, and provided the relationship between the chief constable and PCC are appropriate and good relationships, then I think that system can work.”

Mr Marsh added: “I have worked with three different PCCs in two police forces, and I have recognised the immense value they have brought.

“At my previous police force my PCC extracted a commitment from me that I would not reduce the number of police community support officers and she helped me communicate that to other agencies and played a vital role in negotiating with other agencies about how we make the system work better.”

Mr Akinbusoye concluded: “As PCCs we are more of a help now than we were ten years ago and that is only going to get better.”