Stop shooting the mentally ill, police told

AdelaideNow... Stop shooting the mentally ill, police told: "'You have to give them more skills than just using Taser guns and shooting people - and the police would want that themselves,' Dr Redden said."

I think this is the point. There is no use pointing the finger at the police when they are out there in the midst of it and have difficult people and situations to deal with and have to make decisions about keeping others safe. I believe we have plenty of information about how mentally ill people end up on the wrong side of the law and how they end up in prison, so yes, it is something we need to address. It's partly what the Mental First Aid initiative is about because we do not have a straight forward way of dealing with mental illness like we have with basic casualty care and first aid. It's something we all need to come to grips with at various levels. There are plenty of experts out there. It is about supplying skills and training. It is about sharing knowledge and management of difficult personalities. Police are not social owkers nor are they psychiatrists, but hey are often the ones who have to go in first because that is how mental illness is brought to the attention of the system. Often the mentally ill person becomes quite desperate and cannot get help until they have "blown out". So it's important to put some steps in before it ever reaches that dreadful state and then giving people help in dealing with erratic personalities.