In the police force, we can never say no. Can we? | Alfie Moore

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Overstretched officers are having to salvage a ‘broken mental health system’. Is it time to say enough is enough?

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) tells us that “overstretched police forces are having to ‘pick up the pieces of a broken mental health system’ on top of tackling crime”.

As an experienced police officer, for me the standout words in that sentence are “having to”. The police are never closed, can’t knock off early and are always the last line of defence. We can never say “no”. This seems a far cry from the partnership working ethos of the noughties, when there was so much overlap between services that people were far better supported. In these austere times, services continue to “shrink apart”, and vulnerable people are falling through the gaps.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Si9KFc

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