This week a letter signed by more than 80 of the state’s most respected advocates, obtained by the Herald, will ask Premier Chris Minns to urgently fund mental health workers to join police on the frontline.
Camilla Pandolfini, Redfern Legal Centre CEO and a signatory to the letter, told the Herald “mental health is a health issue that requires health solutions”.
Another signatory, Jonathon Hunyor from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, said the community could not expect police to be equipped with the skills to de-escalate people experiencing mental health crises.
“Having police arrive during a time of crisis escalates anxiety for those people and puts them at further risk,” Hunyor said.