Aggressive man - Peckham rye park

[bobbly]

Monkey Wrote:

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> Is this the guy who cycles carrying a big stick

> (window cleaning equipment)? I?m concerned about

> him as well as the harm he could potentially do to

> others. He can be very aggressive but responded

> well when my husband told him recently he should

> go home as it was about to rain. He?s obviously in

> need of medical care. I?ll call 999 next time.

Please be clear when you call 999 ask for an ambulance, not the police. The man needs a medical assessment for medication to stabilise him. Psychiatrists ate in a better position to determine what's best for him and society. If that means keeping him in a psychiatric unit to keep others safe, that's their remit.

[Monkey]

Bobbly, last time I asked for an ambulance for someone who was behaving strangely (mental health / potentially drug induced) and putting his life at risk by walking too close to cars on a busy road, 999 was really short with me and told me they can?t just follow people around...

[Penguin68]

I?ll call 999 next time.

Actually, most paramedics and ambulance people are not trained to handle psychiatric issues (i.e. in mental health) - neither for that matter are police officers, although both are frequently called in to handle people without the relevant skill sets to do it. I believe that there may be two (only) ambulances in London with appropriately trained people, although call-outs to handle mental health issues are constantly rising.

Police will respond where there is clear and current danger to third parties or of self-harm (i.e. jumpers), ambulances where there is a clear and imminent danger of self-harm. 'Acting oddly' in and of itself won't normally get a response. (At least in part because such a bystander judgement is very subjective).

The lack of training in and availability of emergency 'ambulance' psychological and psychiatric staff is of growing concern.