News

Theresa May announces funding to end police detention of mentally ill

Friday, 22 May 2015

The Home Secretary, Theresa May, has pledged up to £15 million of extra funding for health-based alternatives to prevent the police detention of people who are mentally ill, The Guardian reports.

The pledge was made at the Police Federation's annual conference on Wednesday, and also included a proposed ban on detaining children with mental health problems in police cells.

4,000 people a year are detained in police cells under the Mental Health Act. Police cells are used as 'places of safety' due to a lack of NHS provided health-based alternatives.


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