ABSTRACT
Police forces across the world have played an increasing role in responding to mental health crises and emergency situations. This chapter will examine the debates about whether this is an appropriate role for police officers, who on the whole have limited mental health training. In the UK, the demands on the police in this field have risen because of welfare retrenchment since 2010, when austerity policies were adopted by the Coalition Government. The chapter will argue that the police will always have some role to play in mental health work. However, the aim of policy should be to limit it as much as is possible. The role of the police in mental health work needs to be examined in the broader context of social welfare policies. The chapter argues that the work of Fineman (2004, 2008) can form the basis for a revitalised social state.
