The recent incident in North Point involving the death of a man with a mental disorder at the hands of police responding to an emergency at his home is tragic, but unfortunately not uncommon worldwide. In many places around the world, the police are often the first responders in cases involving mental health crises. However, they often lack the necessary training to support individuals in these situations. This has led to countless vulnerable individuals meeting untimely deaths due to interactions with the police.
Many countries are now calling for police reform and questioning whether the police are always the most appropriate responders in these cases. Hong Kong has also faced criticism in the past for how they handle individuals with mental disabilities. In response to these concerns, the police formed a working group in 2015 to review their procedures for dealing with such individuals. While new measures were implemented, such as the Care Card Scheme and police training on handling people with mental disabilities, there is still a lack of comprehensive guidelines on how to respond to mental health crises.
It is essential for the police to have clear and comprehensive guidelines that prioritize de-escalation techniques in these situations. These guidelines should be laid out step-by-step to minimize difficult judgment calls in tense situations. Additionally, education and training for police officers are crucial. The Mental Health Crisis Response Training Program, for example, has been shown to significantly improve officers’ abilities to de-escalate and respond to mental health crises.
Hong Kong should also consider alternative models for responding to mental health crises, such as the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model or co-responder models involving mental health service providers. These models can help ensure a more effective and supportive response to individuals in crisis. By implementing these changes and learning from the experiences of other countries, Hong Kong can prevent future tragedies and better support individuals with mental health issues.