Police faced a furious backlash after claiming they were too busy to fight crime - because of dealing with too many mental health issues.
Lewisham police posted on Twitter: "So busy dealing with the fallout from mental health issues and 'missing' people don't have time to fight crime."
Users on social media blasted the tweet, which later deleted.
Andy Parmo said: "Someone's getting fired in the morning."
Another added: "I'm guessing you don't see that as your role but I would argue it is still important; recognising you do need support."
MORE: Lewisham police under fire for St Patrick's day tweet - what do you think?
The controversial tweet was posted shortly before midnight last Wednesday (August 30).
A Met spokesman said: “A tweet posted by @MPSLewisham at 23.56pm on August 30 was erroneous and did not reflect the values and work ethic of Lewisham borough or indeed the MPS.
“This is why it was removed. A new message has since been tweeted by @MPSLewisham.
“Every call matters to us. Dealing with vulnerable missing people and attending calls related to mental health issues is a vital part of everyday policing.”
Busy night in #Lewisham with #missingpeople and mental health related calls. These calls are important to us and we are doing our upmost.
— Lewisham MPS (@MPSLewisham) August 31, 2017
Mental health calls to Scotland Yard have increased by a third in five years, the equivalent of 315 a day.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel