Mitigating the risk posed by fixated persons at major events: a joint police-mental health intelligence approach

ABSTRACT

The Queensland Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (QFTAC) is an integrated police-mental health agency established in Queensland, Australia, in 2013 to deal specifically with lone, fixated persons. Many of these individuals are mentally ill, but are unknown to psychiatric services or have disengaged from care. QFTAC identifies fixated persons through their ominous contacts with public office holders and intervenes, often by facilitating mental health care, to prevent progression to harmful outcomes. Prior to the G20 Meetings convened in Queensland in 2014 there was no empirically based procedural framework for managing fixated persons at major public figure gatherings. This paper describes the development of a diversionary model for assessing and managing fixated persons during major events, which combined the resources and expertise of police intelligence officers and forensic mental health practitioners. This approach effectively mitigated the risk posed by fixated individuals to delegates, staff and mentally ill intruders in the secure, armed environment of these events. The model highlights the importance for police, security and mental health services of considering fixated loners in major event planning, for the safety of the event, the public and vulnerable, mentally ill, fixated persons.

KEYWORDS:

• Major events
• fixation
• public figures

Acknowledgements

The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, private or not-for-profit sectors.