Question:
Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs how much training are police
officers given in recognising mental health presentations and what is their course of action if they encounter such
cases in carrying out their duties.
Answer:
1. Madam Speaker, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) equips police officers with the skills to handle their jobs
through a number of various structured and customised training programmes.
2. All officers undergo a 3-month Basic Officer Course when they first join the Force. During the course, they are
trained to handle different situations, including encounters with persons who show signs of mental illness or
illnesses.
3. And after the basic 3-month course, officers attend
a customised course based on their vocation. Those deployed to patrol duties attend a 3-month Neighbourhood Police
Centre Ground Response Force (NPC GRF) Course. During that course, they learn techniques in dealing with situations
where there are disputes or violence, including taking control of the situation, prevention of the escalation of
violence, rendering and requesting for medical assistance, investigating possible offences committed, and providing
the parties involved with an avenue of dispute resolution or conflict resolution. And the training would involve the
officers having to deal with situations where they come across persons with mental illnesses or mental health
conditions.
4. In addition to the training, the SPF works closely
with the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) as well as the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) to manage persons who may
have mental health conditions. When our frontline officers suspect that the person is suffering from mental health
conditions but that the person does not pose any danger to himself or others, they will liaise with the Agency for
Integrated Care (AIC) to follow up.
5. In cases where our officers take the view that the
person is of unsound mind and poses a danger to himself or to someone else, they may arrest the person under the
Mental Health Care and Treatment Act for referral to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for expert medical
assessment.
