South Australian Consolidated Acts South Australian Consolidated Acts23—Powers of members of police force and ambulance officers
(1) Where a member of
the police force has reasonable cause to believe—
(a) that
a person has a mental illness; and
(b) that
the conduct of that person is or has recently been such as to cause danger to
himself or herself or to others,
the member of the police force may apprehend that person, using only such
force as is reasonably necessary for the purpose, and take him or her as soon
as practicable to a medical practitioner for examination.
(2) Where a member of
the police force, the director of an approved treatment centre or an employee
in an approved treatment centre authorised by the director of the centre for
the purpose has reasonable cause to believe that a person who has been
detained in the centre is unlawfully at large, he or she may apprehend the
person, using only such force as is reasonably necessary for the purpose, and
return the person to the centre.
(3) A person on leave
of absence from an approved treatment centre will, for the purposes of
subsection (2), be taken to be unlawfully at large—
(a) if
he or she fails to return to the centre by the expiry of the leave; or
(b) if
the leave has been cancelled; or
(c) if
he or she fails to comply with a condition to which the leave was subject.
(4) Where a member of
the police force has reasonable cause to believe—
(a) that
a person is the subject of a treatment order made under section 20; and
(b) that
the person has, without reasonable excuse, refused or failed to comply with
the order,
the member of the police force may apprehend the person, using only such force
as is reasonably necessary for the purpose, and take the person to the medical
practitioner specified in the order, or to the person in charge of a medical
clinic specified in the order, for treatment in accordance with the order.
(5) A member of the
police force may, in exercising powers under this section, break into any
premises, using only such force as is reasonably necessary for the purpose.
(6) An ambulance
officer—
(a) may,
if summoned by a person exercising powers under this section in relation to a
particular person, convey that person to such place as the person exercising
the powers specifies; and
(b) may
use such force as is reasonably necessary for the purpose.
(7) Where a member of
the police force or ambulance officer takes a person to a medical clinic or
medical practitioner pursuant to this section—
(a) he
or she may, if requested, render such assistance to the medical practitioner
carrying out the examination or treatment as may be necessary for the purpose;
and
(b)
where the medical practitioner makes an order for the admission and detention
of the person in an approved treatment centre, he or she must, if the medical
practitioner so requests, convey, or arrange for the conveyance of, the person
to an approved treatment centre in accordance with the order.
(8) A member of the
police force and an ambulance officer may assist each other in the exercise of
powers under this section.