Norfolk Police Criticised for Telling Family to Ring Locksmith Instead of Mental Health Services

A UK investigation has found Norfolk Police's call handling procedures to be woefully inadequate. With family members of a young man struggling with mental health issues being steered towards a locksmith instead of receiving the support they needed. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has criticized the force for failing to meet its own standards.

This highlights a stark disconnect between its policies and the needs of vulnerable callers.

Following an investigation, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has identified areas for improvement in the handling of a recent welfare call. The agency suggests that call handlers should have employed more in-depth questioning to gauge the son's risk level.

And that clearer explanations should have been provided to the parents regarding the deployment of officers under the Right Care. Right Person policy, which restricts attendance at welfare calls to situations posing an immediate threat to life.

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Humberside Police pioneered the RCRP policy in 2019. Aiming to minimize police entanglement in welfare and mental health cases, thereby freeing officers to concentrate on serious crime and life-threatening situations. Now, forces across England and Wales, including Norfolk Police, have adopted this approach, with Norfolk introducing it in 2024.

They had been in contact with the police multiple times, including a second request for a welfare check. This was attended by officers who found the son dead in his flat.

The IOPC said that it was concerned that Norfolk Police may not fully understand the risks of the RCRP policy. The watchdog's director of oversight and casework. David Ford, shared: "We have raised our concerns with the force around its interpretation of RCRP and monitoring of the initiative.

As a result. the force has said it will undertake a review to examine whether there are any organisational learnings."

The family'It was son, Hobie, had a history of mental health issues and had been under the care of the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust Community Mental Health Team.

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The IOPC said that the force's handling of the situation was "unnecessary and insensitive".

The family has made a complaint to Norfolk Police over its handling of their call. And the force is currently reviewing its response to the complaint. The IOPC has also called for an inquest into the death of Hobie Harrison.

Who was found dead in his flat in Norwich.