Thousands of hours in police resources spent 'ramped' at SA hospitals
Recent Freedom of Information data reveals a significant rise in police delays at hospitals while transporting prisoners and mental health patients, a trend critics label as "police ramping." Although the total time spent waiting has increased substantially, the government highlights a crucial counter-narrative: the rate of delay per conveyance has dropped dramatically. This suggests that while the volume of transports is surging due to complex societal demands, the efficiency of handovers is actually improving, allowing officers to return to patrol duties more quickly relative to the workload. The core issue driving these statistics is a sharp increase in mental health incidents requiring police intervention. With demand for mental health services straining the system, officers are frequently acting as interim security and transport because specialized medical resources are unavailable or overwhelmed. This places police in a vulnerable position, effectively functioning as a makeshift ambulance service, which the opposition argues is a poor use of resources and highlights a broader failure to address underlying mental health needs and unmet care requirements in the community. This article is highly relevant to open_data because it demonstrates how transparency mechanisms, specifically Freedom of Information requests, can uncover critical operational inefficiencies and inform political debate. By making internal government metrics publicly accessible, open data allows citizens and opposition parties to challenge official narratives, verify the effectiveness of policy pledges, and hold institutions accountable for systemic crises like hospital ramping and resource allocation.
Source: abc.net.auPublished on 2025-01-15