USE of police custody as a place of safety under mental health legislation has more than halved in one year, figures out earlier this month have revealed.

In Devon and Cornwall the reduction has been even more dramatic with this year’s total of 103 in marked contrast to the 2014/15 tally of 655 – a massive drop of 552.

The two-counties force spokesman for mental health, Assistant Chief Constable Sharon Taylor, said the statistics released by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) in relation to the fall in use of police custody for those with mental health challenges was ‘hugely positive.’ 

She said: ‘In Devon and Cornwall we have been very vocal on stating that police custody centres are not suitable places to hold a person with mental health concerns.

‘These figures show a huge reduction in the number of Section 136s taken into custody. It is a reflection of the hard work already undertaken by police and our partners. We will continue to strive to reduce these numbers further still.’

Nationally, the number of times police cells in England and Wales were used as a place of safety under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 fell from 4,537 in 2014/15 to 2,100 in 2015/16 – a 53.7 per cent reduction.

The trend was particularly marked for children and young people with 43 under 18s thought to be mentally unwell taken directly to police custody in 2015/16 compared with 161 in 2014/15, a drop of 73.3 per cent.

More cases are now being referred straight to health-based places of safety than ever before.      

NPCC spokesman for Mental Health and Policing – Cmdr Christine Jones – insisted the improvement momentum must not be lost.

She praised the hard work of police officers and staff in ensuring those experiencing a mental health crisis were treated by the right professionals in an appropriate setting.

Section 136 of the Mental Health Act allows for someone believed by the police to have a mental disorder, and who may cause harm to themselves or others, to be detained in a public place and taken to a safe place where a mental health assessment can be carried out. 

Last year, the Care Quality Commission found that too many people were being turned away or forced to wait for long periods of time after arriving at health-based places of safety.