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Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017

Assessment and treatment of persons suffering from severe substance addiction - Enforcement

105: Police assistance

You could also call this:

"Police can help people with severe substance addiction and take them to a safe place for assessment or treatment."

Illustration for Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017

If you are a police officer and someone asks for your help with a person who has a severe substance addiction, you can assist. You can enter the premises where the person is, but you must identify yourself and show proof of who you are if you are not wearing a police uniform. You must tell the person your name or your unique identifier, and if you are not in uniform, you must show them something that proves you are a police officer. If you take the person to a place for a specialist assessment, you can keep them there for up to 6 hours, or until the assessment is finished, whichever is shorter. You can also take the person back to a treatment centre if that is what is needed, according to section 30(4) or section 40. However, you should get a warrant before exercising your power, if it is reasonably possible to do so, as stated in section 107.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6609265.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Police and safetyHealth and wellbeing > Mental healthHealth and wellbeing > Public health
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Part 2Assessment and treatment of persons suffering from severe substance addiction
Enforcement

105Police assistance

  1. This section applies to a constable who responds to a request for Police assistance by an authorised officer who is intending or attempting to do any thing specified in any of sections 21, 30(4), and 40.

  2. The constable—

  3. may enter the premises where the person or patient is; and
    1. must—
      1. identify himself or herself either by name or by unique identifier; and
        1. if not in Police uniform, produce evidence of his or her identity.

        2. A constable who enters premises under subsection (2) may, for the purposes of a specialist assessment under section 22,—

        3. take the person to the place at which he or she is required to attend; and
          1. detain the person at that place for the shorter of—
            1. 6 hours; and
              1. the time it takes to conduct the specialist assessment.

              2. A constable who enters premises under subsection (2) may, for the purposes of section 30(4) or 40, take the patient back to the treatment centre.

              3. The constable must not exercise the power in subsection (2) without a warrant, if it would be reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant under section 107.

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