1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,360 Speaker 1: And we're up to phase three of the Police and 2 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:04,840 Speaker 1: Health New Zealand's move on their mental health response program. 3 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: So phase three is the shift to health led handling, 4 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: that's police only attending true emergencies. Now. Mike Johnson is 5 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 1: the Assistant Police Commissioner on this one and he's with us. 6 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 2: Mike. 7 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: Morning to you morning, Mike, how would you assess phase 8 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: one and two? 9 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,919 Speaker 2: Look, I think those phases have worked well. What we've 10 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 2: seen is seventy five percent reduction and mental health patients 11 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 2: in our selves for assessment firstly, and our calls for 12 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 2: service we've seen we are at about five and a 13 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 2: half thousand calls for service in the last month compared 14 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 2: to a year ago which was about six four hundred, 15 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 2: which just gives you an idea of the volumes that 16 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 2: we're working with here. 17 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly, it was time being wasted or have other 18 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 1: people in the ensuing period stepped in to do what 19 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: you were doing. 20 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 2: Look, time hasn't been wasted from a police perspective, absolutely, 21 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:04,479 Speaker 2: because we've got our staff, our police officers out there 22 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 2: doing the work that the public expects that only we 23 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 2: can do with the tools. 24 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: No, that's what I meant by the question was when 25 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:12,839 Speaker 1: you were sitting in an ed ward for six hours 26 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: and nothing was actually happening, and you were just waiting 27 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: for something to you know, and now you're out in 28 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: the field. Were you wasting your time sitting in the 29 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: ed war doing nothing going nowhere? 30 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:26,680 Speaker 2: Well, it wasn't advancing the safety of our communities. It 31 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 2: wasn't from a police perspective, doing what I believe and 32 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 2: police believe we need our officers to do. I think 33 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 2: the community expects that others have stepped in mic and Look, 34 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 2: change is always hard, and mental health is a very 35 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 2: difficult topic. Having worked with this or my career, but 36 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 2: also what have focused on this more recently. 37 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: Obviously, Yeah, what's a true emergency quote unquote. 38 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, well this is an interesting one. We're seeing that 39 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 2: the rhetoric around this. Look, we will I just want 40 00:01:57,160 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 2: to be really clear on this because it's really important. 41 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 2: Police will always respond when there's an offense or an 42 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 2: immediate risk to life or safety. That does not change 43 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 2: and in that case, whether it's mental health professionals or 44 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 2: members of the public, one one one is the way 45 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 2: to get into our system and prioritize absolutely a priority 46 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 2: for us, and we will deal with that. Phase three 47 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 2: that launched on Monday this week is about that non 48 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 2: emergency requests, requests for services for police, assistance from mental 49 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:34,359 Speaker 2: health services and missing person reports from mental health inpatient 50 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 2: unit and EDS. And we've just streamlined that assessment and 51 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:43,959 Speaker 2: the non emergency component in this phase. 52 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: Money, how long before this thing shakes down? Do you 53 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: you gave us those numbers before? Is this evolving? And 54 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: in a year's time we can all get together and 55 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:53,639 Speaker 1: see where it's at or is this it? 56 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 2: No, this is a four phased approach. The last phase 57 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 2: for Fase four, strangely is in the new year, and 58 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 2: we're looking to have this completed by the middle of 59 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:10,519 Speaker 2: next year. 60 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: All Right, we'll stay in touch. Appreciated very much, Mike Johnson, 61 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: who's the police Assistant commissioner on that particular matter. For 62 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: more from the My Asking Breakfast, listen live to news 63 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: Talks i'd Be from six am weekdays, or follow the 64 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: podcast on iHeartRadio.