Commissioner shows support for World Mental Health Day

POLICE and Crime Commissioner John Dwyer, is supporting World Mental Health Day today (Sunday Oct 10) by encouraging those who live with mental health issues to speak out, and for anyone struggling to seek help and support.

The theme for this year’s day is ‘Mental Health in an Unequal World’ and focuses on the equality of access to mental health services across the globe.

John Dwyer, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, said: “The importance of positive mental health has been at the forefront of many people’s minds, especially during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.

“I can’t stress enough how vital it is that we check up on friends, family and colleagues, and foster a culture of openness when talking about mental health. Everyone should have the same chance to talk about their issues and get any help they feel they need.”

If mental health issues are left unaddressed, people can sometimes find themselves interacting with the police, and in Cheshire the Constabulary is increasingly dealing with complex calls and cases that have little or no aspect of criminality.

Mr Dwyer added: “I’m clear in my Police and Crime Plan that I do not want to see people with mental health issues who haven’t committed a crime being caught up in the criminal justice system. To that end, I am committed to working with partners to extend the mental health triage system in Cheshire.

“This will ensure that trained mental health professionals can provide advice to officers and staff and ensure that provisions can be put in place for people who need the help and support.”

Demand for services can vary, but it’s vital that people know where they can turn to. Below is a list of resources available to people in Cheshire:

Cheshire West and Chester

Cheshire East

Halton

Warrington