This is My Campaign to change the Mental Health Act of Australia.
NSW Police use force to subdue a Person with Mental Health problems and he dies after being Tasered.
The NSW Police Commissioner and the NSW State Premier never responded to my Twitter Communications regarding my suggestion that the NSW Police and the NSW State Government consider the use of Specialists Police Officers trained in field of Mental Health Dialogue. The Australian Media also never responded.
So now I will write formal letters to the NSW Police Commissioner and the NSW State Premier with my suggestions.
I doubt if there is anybody besides myself who has experienced the Mental Health Act as applied by the NSW Police, the WA Police and the UK Government and who has also worked in the field of Mental Health. It took a letter from Dr Merson of the U.K National Health Service which states and I quote ‘there is no evidence of any form of Mental Health illness’ of the UK National Health Service to stop further attempts to question my Mental Health. I am in the area of first response to a Mental Health situation by the Police what is termed an ‘expert’ and my advice should not be ignored – lol I am sure that was not the intention.
My experience is invaluable and unique and should be used to make changes to the current NSW Police Procedures regarding ‘first response’ to an incident that involves a person with Mental Health.
I know the emotional barrage that is experienced when the full physical force of NSW Police Officers is applied to the person – 6 were sent to detain me and the result? I was eventually released because nothing was wrong with me. I was able to control my emotions despite being illegally detained. But when that level of force is applied to a person who has Mental Health problems it is likely that somebody may die.
The NSW Police are not Doctors. They are not always the correct response to a person with Mental Health problems. They only have one solution; contain the potential or real threat and remove that person to a place where he or she can be examined by Mental Health Specialists. That is why I am campaigning for change to the current NSW Police Procedures.
Letter to the NSW State Premier and the NSW Police Commissioner.
To be cont/…..
Albany, Western Australia 2013.
This is a true account of what happened to me when the Mental Health Act was illegally used to detain me. It was frightening and shocking and I do not have a Mental Health problem. This is why I know that an over-powering Police response can cause a person with a Mental Health problem to respond in such a way that he can die from the resultant Police response. You see a person who has committed a crime has rights, a solicitor and witnesses when the Police arrest them. What does a person who is going to be detained under the Mental Heath Act have to protect them? They are not even cautioned or advised of their rights. It is so many times a brute application of maximum force.
In early 2013 I had just booked into a hotel in Albany Western Australia and was on the bed relaxing when 2 Western Australian Policemen burst into the room, handcuffed me and said I had been loud and ‘out of control’ or words to that effect– I was in the Hotel room on my own and being quiet. The radio and TV were not on.
When I say ‘burst in’ I mean just that. No knock on the door. It was full-on. If I had resisted it would have been the Taser. They never asked me anything about what I was doing or took a statement. They said I had to go for a Mental Assessment! They put the handcuffs on me whilst I was still on the bed.
They were very very aggressive both verbally and physically. They made no attempt to talk to me it was all very abusive and threatening.
They threw me handcuffed into the back of a Police Van which was very uncomfortable as it was not a smooth ride. I was rolling around handcuffed in the back of the Police van. I had to jam my feet up against the side of the van cell in order to stop myself being injured by the rough ride.
Even if I was making a noise which I was not, since when do Police burst in handcuff you and take you off to have your Mental Health assessed for being noisy?
When we arrived at the Albany Hospital nobody interviewed me or even spoke to me. I was put in a bare room with just a bed and one cupboard. I was injected with a drug twice – despite my objections. I never raised my voice or struggled as I knew that they would sedate me and who knows what else.
The injections made me very tired. I struggled to put on even a pair of socks .
After a couple of days I was put into a room with furniture. They continued to give me oral drugs. Why, I have no idea. I did not swallow them.
It took 3 days for the red welts and bruises from the handcuffs to go down and several days for the large lump on my arm from the injections to dissipate.
Initially the legal advice brochures were taken off the stand in the hospital making it impossible for me to get qualified legal representation.
The day after I was illegally detained and for the first 2 weeks I was allowed to go out on my own and wander around Albany – which makes a mockery and a lie of why I was detained. I even went horse riding.
I went to the local radio station but they expressed zero interest.
The local court Clerk of the Court said what had happened to me was very wrong and said she would demand I be released. Then the next day she said that there was nothing she could do and that I had to get a solicitor.
The local solicitor said she could not do anything. It was like being in a horror film. I had to pinch myself to be reminded that I had rights.
I went to Albany Police and made a complaint but was given the brush-off.
I was only interviewed once by two psychiatrists who seemed obsessed with my views on how to improve the World. They would not discuss why it was I was there in the first place.
Then suddenly I was told I could not go out and wander around so I was bored senseless walking up and down in a little yard they had. Nobody spoke to me.
Finally after 3~ weeks they said I could go. No explanation and no apology were given.
LOL. Apparently I was delusional because I wanted to write to improve the World. They found nothing wrong with my Mental Health.
Now what happened to me is to be the subject of a serious complaint. It was a very unpleasant experience and I still have no idea of why it occurred.
Both the West Australian Crime and Corruption Commission and the Western Australian Mental Health Commision have indicated that they will carry out an investigation into what happened.
What occurred does fall in line with other UK and Australian Government Agency efforts to question my writing and opinions. All of which have failed to find anything wrong with me and my writing.
I have written to all the major Australian Media about what happened to me in Albany but they do even reply back with an acknowledgment – which is strange as it is a very newsworthy story.
It also raises the question is the Mental Health Act being abused by those who seek to use it for their own purposes?
