10 Jun 2020

Armed Response Teams responded to mental health call outs

From Lately, 10:20 pm on 10 June 2020

During their six month trial the now abandoned police Armed Response Teams went to more than 200 mental health call outs and threatened suicides as well as callouts for offences including cannabis.

One suicidal man was pepper sprayed and others who were suicidal or in mental distress had tasers presented at them.

Karyn speaks with Shaun Robinson from the Mental Health Foundation about this data and his response to the teams being axed.

Mental Health Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson

Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King