Unmarked Police Car Vandalised in Brixton During Mental Health Call-Out
Police are hunting for the culprit after an unmarked police vehicle was splattered with white paint during a mental health crisis response in Brixton.
Paint Attack at Leicester House
On Saturday, 4 July, between 8pm and 9pm, officers were called to Leicester House on Loughborough Road. They were supporting London Ambulance Service staff attending to a person in a mental health emergency.
In the midst of the response, a member of the public reported that someone hurled a pot of white paint onto the unmarked police car. This follows a recent spate of violent attacks at the same spot, including metal bolts thrown at a marked police vehicle.
Crisis Assessment Team Vehicle Out of Action
The damaged vehicle is part of the Crisis Assessment Team (CAT), a specialist unit teaming police officers with mental health pros from South London and Maudsley NHS Trust. The team tackles urgent mental health incidents across south London.
Launched as a pilot in December 2017, the CAT reduces pressure on emergency services by delivering expert frontline care at critical moments.
Police Warn of Reduced Mental Health Response
Police Sergeant Terry Collman said: “The damage to this vehicle has resulted in it being unserviceable. In turn, this will have an impact on our ability to respond to incidents involving mental health in the area.
“Damage to police property, such as this, is quite literally reducing the level of service that local people can access. If you have any information that could assist our investigation please do get in touch.”
If you saw what happened or know who is responsible, contact police on 101. To stay anonymous, call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
