This thing is madness, Ellington says

Top cop scolds police for ignoring mentally challenged persons

Monday, February 20, 2012

Police commissioner Owen Ellington has said that personnel under his command must never tell members of the public that they cannot take action against persons who are said to be mentally challenged.

"On no account must a member of the public be told in future that the police cannot take action against a mentally disordered person unless the mentally disordered person committed an offence," Ellington wrote in the weekly Force Orders released last Friday.

He quoted from Section 32 of the Mental Health Act, which indemnifies the police against prosecution, for unlawful arrests.

"Commanding officers and sub-officers in charge of stations will now make this the subject of lectures for the next two months in order to ensure that all under their command are made aware of their power and obligation under the Mental Health Act.

"Future complaints of the police's failure to effectively deal with reports against mentally disordered persons will attract the harshest sanction, where the report is confirmed," Ellington said, adding that he had been getting complaints that police personnel were neglectful in their duties of not acting against such persons.

"In recent times I have received a number of complaints, some very disturbing, regarding the attitude of the police towards mentally disordered persons found wandering at large, and those who have committed offences and come into police custody," Ellington stated.

"With regard to mentally disordered persons wandering at large, the frequent complaint is that whenever reports are made to the police about mentally disordered persons who wander at large and pose a threat to other members of the public, the usual police response is that there was nothing the police could do, the mentally disordered person would first have to commit an offence before the police act. This is not true."

Ellington referred to Section 15 (1) of the Act (Section 15) which speaks to the issue.

"Where a constable finds any person in a public place or wandering at large, in such a manner or under such circumstances as to indicate that he is mentally disordered, the constable may, without a warrant, take such person in charge and forthwith accompany him to a psychiatric facility for treatment, or forthwith arrange for him to be conveyed with all reasonable care and despatch to that facility; and the constable shall, within 30 days of accompanying such person to the psychiatric facility or arranging for him to be conveyed to such facility, make a report in writing thereof to the Mental Health Review Board."

In March last year, Chaplain of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and Commandant of the Jamaica Police Academy, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Gary Welsh apologised for the deaths of two persons believed to be of unsound mind at the hands of members of the Force.

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COMMENTS (8)

ras london
2/20/2012

Ease up on the police. We have a lot of police bashing but the police are kept occupied due to our high crime rate and understaffed police force. They cannot solve all our societal problems. Police need, batons, flashlights, stun guns, handcuffs, pepper spray etc to deal with some of the problems, not just a rifle. Unless they are equipped with these tools then at times, they are forced to use their deadly weapons.

Kevin Forge
2/20/2012

You see... You told them mad people are not to be used for target practice... That confused them so they now think they must be left alone entirely.
Sorry Mr. Ellington. You need to understand the low level at which your men operate.

Michael Watson
2/20/2012

I hope these officers are given training how to deal with mentally disturb people.

larry smith
2/20/2012

well said, commissioner .Ellington....only thing make sure the police are protected. by arming themselves with stun guns. or other devices.

claude russell
2/20/2012

Thank you Commissioner!!

wanda woeman
2/20/2012

It is all well and good for the police commissioner to make these lofty statements from where he sits, but they are totally disregarded by the rank and file on the ground. The police will not take action against these people because they regard them as dirty and probably HIV positive and they are afraid to get themselves dirty or infected.
Why won't the police test it by putting operatives or under cover people on the ground. Mr. Commissioner a number of people don't know their rights and merely putting them in your Force Orders won’t work. You ought to see how people are treated when they go into the station to make a report.

Nicolas Henry
2/20/2012

Mr Ellington your cops have always have been dealing with the mentally ill. Not becuz a person isn't roaming the street drty & looking for food in the garbage, mean they're not mentally ill. would you call a person SANE that cut off another persons head while the person is alive? What abt the person that set a house on fire with kids trapped in it, then wait outside to shoot any that try to escape. JA full up of whole heap a psychotic ppl, that only settle their difference by killing/slaughterin

Nicolas Henry
2/20/2012

The evryday police blotter of carnage, in print media & brdcast media, leaves me to believe that there are many mentally ill ppl in JA, more than we wnt to acknowledge. The ganja smoking culture that's widely accepted, seem to be leaving many in a pscychotic state, that cause them to slaughter their fellow Jmcns even when unprovoked. Some blgrs say I hate Jmcns. It depends on who those blgers identify as Jmcn. Shottas, corrupt cops & pltcns & the outright low lives, those r the Jmcns I dnt like!

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This thing is madness, Ellington says