Care of suicidal man criticised
A suicide attempt in the Wellington police station cells has led to criticism of the officers who monitored a mentally unwell man.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) issued a finding yesterday into the suicide attempt of a Lower Hutt man.
The agitated man had to be handcuffed when police responded to a call from his partner at 2am on October 9, 2016.
His partner said the man – who has not been identified – was attempting to find objects to hang himself with.
He was taken to the district custody unit at Wellington Central Police Station, and was evaluated as requiring ‘‘frequent monitoring’’ of five checks an hour.
But this was not sufficient, the IPCA has found, and ‘‘constant monitoring’’ was required.
IPCA chair Judge Colin Doherty said the custody supervisor should have recognised the man, who had attempted suicide immediately prior to being in custody, required a higher level of monitoring.
Officers had to break into the man’s home to prevent the early morning suicide attempt, arresting him for being aggressive.
The Crisis Resolution Service was notified on the way to the station, and the man was placed in a monitoring cell and dressed in a tear-resistant gown. After about an hour, the man attempted to choke himself with the gown. An ambulance was called.
The authority said police should have contacted crisis staff and asked for assistance at the man’s address, or considered taking him to hospital.
The district custody unit was not the right place for a person suffering such mental distress, the finding said.
Despite this, the authority found the man was justifiably detained and was provided with timely and appropriate medical assistance after the suicide attempt.
The officers who dealt with the man have had ‘‘expectation setting conversations’’ on dealing with mentally unwell people and the need for proper evaluations and checks.
The IPCA found the concrete cells prohibited officers from using their radio and cellphones to notify others of the suicide attempt. As this is the build of many police cells, a national solution is being sought.
Wellington district commander Sam Hoyle said mental health incidents were complex and required quick decisions. ‘‘We expect high standards of care from our staff during such events and following this incident these standards and expectations have been reinforced.’’