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	Frontline garda&iacute; want more training to help deal with people who are distressed or who have mental health issues.</p>
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	The call comes after a Garda Ombudsman report highlighted cases of death or serious injury of people where serious mental health matters played a role.</p>
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	&ldquo;There is a need for further training amongst our members as we often have to deal with members of the public who are in distress or who are dealing with mental health issues,&rdquo; said Ciaran O&rsquo;Neill, president of the Garda Representative Association.</p>
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	&ldquo;Further training would ensure members deal with the public in a sensitive and informed manner.&rdquo;</p>
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	In one case reported by the Ombudsman, garda&iacute; arrested a man from the family home after he became very aggressive. They gave him a cursory body search and placed him in a Garda van. He was not handcuffed.</p>
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	When garda&iacute; got back to the station, they discovered the man had slit his wrists with a knife. Trained garda&iacute; treated him and he was taken to hospital and recovered.</p>
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	The Ombudsman criticised the garda&iacute; for not handcuffing the man, given the circumstances.</p>
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	It recommended the garda&iacute; receive informal advice in respect of handcuffing a detainee and that members in general be apprised of garda policies in respect of search following arrest.</p>
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	In a second case, garda&iacute; were called to a house where a man was causing a disturbance. They arrested him under the Mental Health Act 2001 and put him in the back of a Garda van. A short time later the man was found unconscious. Medical attention was sought and he responded, but when he was taken to hospital he died.</p>
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	He died from cardiac failure due to Excited Delirium Syndrome. The ombudsman said the garda&iacute; were fully justified in arresting him.</p>
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	In a third case, garda&iacute; stopped a car and, on discovering it had no tax, informed the driver that they were seizing his vehicle.</p>
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	When they asked him to step out, he walked to a nearby bridge and jumped over, into a river. The garda&iacute; tried to rescue him, but he was washed away and died.</p>
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	The ombudsman discovered the man had a history of mental illness and that garda&iacute; could not have predicted his actions.</p>
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	Mr O&rsquo;Neill said: &ldquo;The job of being a garda is unpredictable and our members can face a number of difficult situations every day, which makes it impossible to train for every eventuality.</p>
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	&ldquo;The impact of dealing with demanding cases also has an effect on our members.&rdquo;</p>
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	A Garda spokesman said part of a module for garda recruits covered mental illness, garda powers and procedures, and transportation.</p>
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	There is also a half-day training on suicide alertness and a two-day Asist suicide prevention programme.</p>
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	(Published by the Irish Examiner on the 3rd August 2016)</p>
<p>
	<a href="http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/gardai-want-training-for-mental-illness-cases-413839.html">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/gardai-want-training-for-mental-illness-cases-413839.html</a></p>
