Exploring the role of police in responding to mental distress
Our project aimed to gather diverse stories of encounters with the police. We collaborated with many whānau/citizens, to co-create their story of engaging with police. We also talked to police across the country and spent time with frontline officers to learn about their experiences of responding to mental health-related incidents. We aimed to positively impact future police engagement with people experiencing mental distress.
Read our reports
We have now released two reports! One report synthesizes the whānau/citizen and police experiences. It details the research findings and recommends changes that can be made. The second report contains a collection of whānau/citizen stories, separate from the synthesis created by the team.
Learn about the wider project
Our wider project investigated the role of police in responding to mental distress in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Check out more information about the project, who we are, and why this research is important.
What is this project about?
A preventative, victim focused, policy frames police practice in New Zealand. However, research tells us that whānau who experience mental distress are more likely to be victimised, socially excluded, and when in crisis, treated coercively by police. How then, do police put this policy into practice and how is it experienced by whānau when police…
How are we doing the research?
The citizen experience In this phase of the project, we will co-produce citizens’ stories of police engagement while experiencing mental health distress. This will involve meeting up with whānau in the community for one interview, followed by informal interactions that will generate a co-produced narrative. The interviews will allow whānau to ‘communicate their story’ about…
Why do this project?
This project is important right now because police are increasingly called to support citizens in the community who are experiencing mental distress. Prevention First, the policy that guides police responses, identified mental health as one of six drivers of police demand. This policy directs police to practice in a preventative, victim-focused, way. However, we know…
About us
We are a diverse team of researchers passionate about improving responses to whānau experiencing mental distress.
contact@citizensandmentaldistress.com
C/O AUT Law
Level 5,
55 Wellesley Street East,
Auckland 1142
New Zealand
Whānau/citizen stories 