Factors Associated with Repeated Contact between Police and Emotionally Disturbed Persons

• In Event: Posters I

Abstract

It has been theorized that a sub-group of Emotionally Disturbed Persons (EDP) is likely to cycle throughout the criminal justice system. One nexus point where this is evident is in the case of a Mental Health Act apprehension where front-line police officers and emergency healthcare providers work together to provide acute healthcare to patients. Though these two service providers know they are working with the same patient, there is a need to better understand what happens to him/her once he/she is released to the hospital, after he/she is discharged, and in some cases, when he/she is apprehended again by police. Using data from a police records management system, the purpose of this paper is to use variables measuring the patient's demographic information, where the apprehension started, temporal variables, and other event and subject information, to determine those factors that increase (or decrease) the likelihood that an apprehended EDP will be re-apprehended by police services. Understanding the nature and quality of repeated apprehensions of EDP is needed to improve service delivery, save resources, and also improve the overall well-being of patients who cycle between police custody and emergency rooms.

Authors

• Adam Vaughan, Simon Fraser University

• Simon Verdun-Jones, Simon Fraser University

• Martin Andresen, Simon Fraser University

• Garth Davies, Simon Fraser University