ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada– Two organizations, including the Grenada Human Rights Association (GHRA), have called for an independent inquiry into the shooting deaths of psychiatrically ill patients by law enforcement personnel.
In a joint statement, the GHRA and the Grenada Association of Professional Social Workers (GAPSW) Inc said they were concerned about the situation, pointing to the most recent shooting of a mentally ill man in St Patrick on January 19 this year.
“Unfortunately, this is not the first incident of a psychiatrically ill patient to be fatally wounded by the police. While we recognize the need for the police to execute their duties in protecting the public and themselves, however, when responding to urgent situations and having to make swift decisions on how to react, there needs to be greater awareness of the needs of persons with mental health issues,” the organizations said in the statement.
They said that while they are not apportioning blame, they ‘are extremely concerned that these vulnerable persons who are often acutely distressed at the time” and that “shooting to kill is deemed as the most appropriate intervention.
“It is also disturbing that there have been no further updates from the police on this incident. Relatives need to feel confident that when they request assistance from the police, it will not result in the death of their loved ones,” the two organizations said.
As far as they are aware, there has been no inquiry into the previous shooting deaths of people with psychiatric disorders.
“If the (Royal Grenada Police) Force is to learn and improve practice, change is what needs to occur. Therefore, we are calling for an independent inquiry to ascertain the facts and help educate the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) to take a more appropriate and sensitive approach in dealing with volatile, psychiatrically ill patients in the community.
“We are once again calling on the Government to revisit the 2008 draft Mental Health Bill, as this incident has proven that many patients are living with enduring mental health problems in the community who are likely not to receive a coordinated service.”
They said that the need for more updated mental health legislation to improve the antiquated services that are current is long overdue.
“It is time that mentally ill persons receive a service that acknowledges their rights to be treated with dignity and respect, and their carers’ expectation of realistic support is realized,” the organizations added.
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