A POLICE chief has admitted resources are being stretched to the limit as officers try to cope with an increasing number of mental health incidents.

The Gazette can reveal that, in the average week, police in Renfrewshire are being faced with more than 30 such incidents – some of which can take up to six hours to resolve.

One in four local people are being affected by anxiety, depression or psychosis.

And, with an ageing population meaning more people are suffering from dementia, the police have admitted they are close to breaking point.

Chief Inspector Simon Wright, area commander based at Johnstone police station, had no hesitation in admitting it is the most worrying aspect of his job.

He said: “If you were to ask any of my cops just now ‘what is the biggest challenge you are facing day to day?’ they would tell you it’s dealing with what we class as ‘concern for person’ calls.

“It’s the sort of call where we will be contacted by somebody who is suicidal, maybe somebody who has Alzheimer’s and has just wandered off, or somebody who is feeling low.

“For the last two or three years, it’s been an emerging issue and we have to adapt and get better services in place as a country.

“We are limited to what we can try to do in relation to individuals who have mental health problems and we rely on our partners.”

Mental health incidents often require a police car and two officers to attend to the person who is in distress, before taking them to hospital and staying there until a full assessment has been completed and the patient is able to go home or to another place of safety.

It is a long, tiring and complex process that can be even further complicated when the person has gone missing, such as someone with dementia who may have wandered off.

An incident of that nature can see the entire response team out looking for the person – while crime is inevitably going on elsewhere.

On many occasions, officers are faced with tough decisions about whether or not to make an arrest when someone is clearly troubled but is also committing a crime.

“In one recent incident, we were contacted by a member of the public who saw a person

near the hard shoulder on the A737, near Kilbarchan, and felt the man was in crisis,” said Mr Wright.

“Officers went along and traced the man and they found him in possession of a knife and a mace.

“This is happening more and more. We’re left with this scenario of dealing with a person who appears to be in crisis with mental health issues but is also committing a crime because they are in possession of weapons.

“It’s the challenge of trying to work out what is best for them because we cannot just let them go.”

Mr Wright is asking for more support from the Scottish Government to ease the mental health crisis that is affecting so many communities.

He said: “There are times when officers turn up with their radio and vest on, with their baton and handcuffs, and that actually makes things worse.

“We can try to do our best but we are the police and we may not be the best people to deal with the situation.

“We don’t have the skillset and the knowledge to deal with these people in the best way.

“I think that, as a society, we need to have a bigger conversation about the impacts of mental health.

“As it stands now, taking a person to the hospital and going through that process which takes up so much time, that can’t be the best system for someone who is in crisis.

“I know the Government is looking at this issue and providing additional funding but, if I had one wish, it would be for my cops who are dealing with these problems to have access to the support they need.”