SUPPORTED housing, not police cells.
That was the message from the Home Office yesterday when it announced police in Sussex would pilot a new scheme where people detained under the Mental Health Act would no longer be kept in custody.
Instead, Sussex Police is joining forces with a local charity and the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in a bid to increase support to people detained under the act.
As well as benefiting the vulnerable, the move will also reduce the demand on an already-stretched police force.
It could be argued the scheme is somewhat overdue but, if and when it is rolled out nationally, it will certainly be a case of better late than never.
Officers in Sussex agree that resources, including officer time and cash from police budgets, could be better used fighting other crimes. They agree that the mentally ill have no place in police cells.
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