Our Communities Flashcards
Criminal hate speech
this is a type of what?
a hate crime
this includes offences such as:
* offensive language
* intimidation
* harassment
* harmful digital communication
all of the above have a perceived prejudice against someone’s race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or age.
Hate Crime
Human Rights Act 1993
Section 131
as well as being a hate crime, criminal hate speech could be classified under the above act as what?
‘inciting racial disharmony’
Hate Crime
is ‘hate crime’ an offence?
it is not an offence in itself, rather, the hate motivation for the offence is an ‘aggravating factor’ that may be taken into consideration at sentencing.
Hate Crime
The Sentencing Act 2002
section 9(1)(h)
‘states the court must take ‘aggravating factors’ into account when considering sentencing for any offence that is motivated by:
hostility towards a group of persons who have an enduring common characteristic such as:
* race
* colour
* nationality
* religion
* gender identity
* sexual orientation
* age, or
* disability; and
-the hostility is because of this common characteristic; and
-the offender believed that the victim has that characteristic
Hate Crime
The Sentencing Act 2002
section 9(1)(h)
what is needed to facilitate the use of the above act?
- evidence of hate motivation
- language and/or symbols and/or actions that the offender displayed must be clearly recorded.
Hate Incident
Police definition
Non-criminal incident
(any report to Police that does not meet a criminal threshold)
+
Actual or perceived hostility or prejudice towards the person’s protected characteristic such as:
(race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age)
Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992
Purpose of the Act
- To ensure that people experiencing a mental illness receive the appropriate treatment.
- If necessary, the assessment and subsequent treatment can be compulsory
- Depending on individual circumstances, compulsory assessment and treatment may be conducted either while the person is detained in an insitution or, in some cases, while the person remains in the community
- The Act also protects the rights of people subjected to such treatment
Missing Person
Categories?
- Voluntary: someone who has control over their actions (runaways, escapees, relationship breakup, debt avoidance, unaware they have been reported missing)
- Involuntary: someone who is missing against their will (victim of criminal activity, child abducted in custody dispute, mental health/intellectual disability)
- Lost due to event: people who are temporarily disorientated and want to be found (lost at sea, in the bush, car accidents)
- Missing overseas: people missing overseas - reported by people in NZ, foreign nationals in NZ - reported missing from outside NZ
Missing Person
Concerns for Welfare
definition
although there may not be immediate fears for the person’s safety, there may be genuine concerns for their welfare due to:
* age: elderly people living alone, teenage runaways
* circumstances: recent trauma, relationship or employment problems
* influences: drugs, gangs, alcohol
Missing Person
definition
- any person who is reported missing to Police
AND - whose whereabouts are unknown
AND - there are fears for the safety, or concerns for the welfare, of that person
Z.A.C.
Missing Person
Fears for safety definitions
- Age: small children, elderly, fears may arise as soon as their absence is noted
- Zones of Safety: fears arise when the person is outside their usual surroundings and is unable to cope (lost in the bush, someone with a disability etc)
- Circumstances: fears arise if they have gone missing in circumstances that are unusual, dangerous or suspicious (criminal activity, abduction or homicide)
Missing Persons
Initial action
Establish the type of enquiry you are dealing with, in some cases there will be unusual, dangerous or suspicious circumstances that will dictate action required.
- establish what the fears for safety are (ZAC)
- take the missing persons report:
obtain info on the missing person, incl his/her full details and:
-physical appearance
-physical & mental health, incl medication
-any suicide concerns
-doctor & dentist
-bank accounts
-passport & IRD numbers
-social media accounts
-occupation - other details:
consider the following enquiries
-when/where/by whom the person was last seen
-what they were wearing
-obtain known friends/associates names & addresses
-possible reasons for disappearance
-history of going missing?
-what enquiries have already been done by family & friends
-obtaining a photograph
Missing Persons
Located missing person
If the person is located enter the details of:
* date & time
* place & circumstances in which they were found
If you locate a missing person or receive information that a missing person has been located, verify the info and ensure it is accurate
* visit located person, ask about circumstances around disappearance
* if it’s a child, look for child abuse indicators and consider referral to OT
* update NIA with reason for going missing
* remove alert from NIA and update any media broadcasts
* advise informant the person has been found
Missing Persons
Located missing person - voluntarily missing
If you locate a person who is ‘voluntarily’ missing, Police will respect the right of that individual no to be reunited with their family or associates, unless the missing person is a child or young person under 16.
Police will not disclose their location but should confirm to the person’s family that the missing person is safe and well and is no longer considered missing.
Non-criminal hate speech
‘awful but lawful’
this is a type of what?
a hate incident
it happens online and offline, it can start as an online hate incident and the move into the ‘real’ world as a hate crime
Responding to hate crimes & hate incidents
what 4-step process can we do?
- verbally acknowledge the harm caused to the victim
- let them know we take this seriously and their complaint will be recorded
- let them know about any additional process for their complaint
- offer referral to support agencies such as Victim Support
Compulsory Treatment Patients
patients of this category who is absent without leave or fails to comply with an order may be apprehended and…
returned/taken to hospital
if apprehended within three months of going missing
The patient is deemed to be released from their CTO if absent for more than three months
Compulsory Treatment Patients
they are deemed to be released from their CTO if absent for more than
3 months
After this timeframe a new assessment must be completed
Duly Authorised Officers
DAO
Qualified mental health clinicians who have specialised in the area of mental health and receive further training on an ongoing basis
Hate Crime
Police definition
Offence
(e.g. assault, harassment, offensive language or wilful damage etc)
+
Actual or perceived hostility or prejudice towards the person’s protected characteristic such as:
(race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age)
If you are called to a private address, you may enter only:
MH (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992
- at the request of the occupier
- if requested by DAO under s41
- if requested to assist a MH practitioner under s110(1), 110A(2) or 110B(2)
- consider SASA 2012 s14
‘Mental Disorder’
definition
an abnormal state of mind (whether of continuous or intermittent nature) characterised by:
delusions, or disorders of mood, perception, volition or cognition of such degree that it:
* poses a serious danger to the health and safety of that person or of others, or
* seriously diminishes the capacity of that person to take care of themself
MH (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992
Police Role
people with a mental illness generally come to your notice in the following ways:
- find them in a public place acting in an unusual manner
- called by members of the public about a person’s behaviour in a public or private place
- person alleged to have committed an offence and is apprehended
- called on to assist a DAO or a MH practitioner
MH (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992
Primary Police Role
to ensure the safety of that person and the safety of the public if necessary
Police power to assist
Section 41
MH (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992
DAO may call upon the assistance of Police so that they may:
* assess a patient, or
* transport a patient for assessment or treatment
- detain
maximum of 6 hours - transport
the DAO needs to go in the car with you
Authority of Doctor
Section 110(b)
MH (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992
Emergency Assessment
- MH practitioner has examined a person and believes they are mentally disordered and it is in their interest that an assessment be completed
- that Doctor can issue a certificate to accompany the assessment application
Police powers of entry when urgent assistance is needed
Section 110(c)
MH (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992
- any member of Police called upon in such circumstances
- enter the premises by force if necessary
- detain the person in those premises until assessment examination conducted
maximum of 6 hours - take the person to some other place nominated by MH practitioner for the examination/assessment
doctor to accompany you to destination
Restricted & Special patients
patients of these categories who have absconded or are absent without leave may be apprehended and…
returned to hospital at any time
Restricted patients are
subject to a compulsory treatment order but are considered to present a danger to the public
Police powers in public places Section 109
- any member of Police may apprehend
- any person wandering at large in a public place
- behaving in a way tht gives rise to a reasonable belief that they may be mentally disordered
- the member believes it is in the interest of the public to do so
- detain
maximum of 6 hours - transport to hospital, mental health facility or other appropriate place
- DAO examination arranged as soon as practicable
Police station to be used to transport them to only as a last resort.
Special patients are
Detained by way of a court order if they are found to be criminally insane or unfit to plead.
This also includes people on remand for a psychiatric report
Time limit for detention
MH (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992
no person shall be detained for more than six hours for the purpose of a medical examination or an assessment examination
Transporting Patients
MH (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992
Under the memorandum of understanding between the Police and the Ministry of Health, DAOs are responsible for arranging transportation of patients.
Where Police are required to assist, the decision on the type of vehicle to be used should be made by the DAO or Doctor in consultation with the attending Police.
under s4 of the Victims’ Rights Act 2002
A victim is…
- a person against whom an offence is committed
- a person who suffers physical injury, or loss of or damage to property caused by someone else committing an offence
- a parent or legal guardian of a person under 18 who falls within the two bullet points above, unless that parent or guardian is charged with, convicted of, or pleads guilty to, the offence
- a member of the immediate family of a person who as a result of an offence committed by another, dies or is incapable, unless that family member is charged with, convicted of, or pleads guilty to, the offence
Use of Force
Section 122B
When exercising the following powers in an emergency you may use force…
MH (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992
…as is reasonably necessary in the circumstances.
The powers are:
* a power to take or retake a person, proposed patient or patient
* a power to detain a person, proposed patient or patient in sections 41, 109 or 110
* a power to enter a premises in sections 41 or 110
Use of sedatives
Section 110(a)
MH (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992
Assist administering sedative
The doctor issuing the certificate may administer a sedative to the proposed patient if they consider it necessary