Mental health-related police incidents: Results of a national census exercise in England and Wales.

Background: The level of mental state incidents dealt with by police and the police resource involved is under-researched, often giving rise to un-evidenced claims around demand, response and resources. The 2019 National Police Chiefs' Council and College of Policing definition of such incidents provides a useful basis for more accurate calculation: 'Any police incident thought to relate to someone's mental health where their vulnerability is at the centre of the incident or where the police have had to do something additionally or differently because of it'.

Aims: To establish the nature and frequency of incidents involving the police when mental state is a primary reason for the involvement.