The independent police watchdog has issued a severe critique of Norfolk Police after call handlers advised a distressed family to contact a locksmith rather than addressing urgent mental health concerns. The incident occurred in August 2025, just one day before 30-year-old Hobie Harrison was discovered dead in his Norwich flat.
According to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the force’s 101 operators failed to refer the caller to appropriate mental health services. Instead, after consulting a supervisor, staff suggested the family engage a locksmith, stating the situation did not meet the threshold for a police response under the force’s ‘Right Care, Right Person’ (RCRP) policy.
Hobie Harrison’s parents, Mark and Roberta Harrison, had initially contacted the police on 6 August after their son failed to respond to them for over 24 hours. Given Hobie’s history of schizophrenia, developmental trauma, and self-harm, the couple described the silence as highly abnormal. Upon arriving at his apartment, they discovered his key was still inside the lock, confirming he was present but unresponsive. Uncertain of their legal right to force entry, they called the police.
Roberta Harrison recounted the confusion felt by the family at the time. “We didn’t know how to make a decision at that point or what to do quite frankly,” she said. Mark Harrison added that they were “100% certain” something was seriously wrong.
Officers did attend the property the following morning, where they found Hobie’s body. In October 2025, the Harrisons lodged a formal complaint regarding the handling of their initial request. Norfolk Police has since agreed to conduct a review to identify any organizational lessons.
The IOPC report indicated that call handlers should have posed more probing questions to accurately assess the level of risk. Furthermore, the watchdog argued that a clearer explanation should have been provided to the parents regarding why officers were not dispatched under the RCRP guidelines.
Norfolk Police defended its actions, stating it was adhering to the RCRP framework, which limits officer attendance at welfare calls to cases involving an “immediate risk to life.” The policy, originally developed by Humberside Police in 2019 and adopted nationally, aims to reduce police involvement in mental health incidents so resources can be focused on crime and immediate threats. The force reported that officer attendance at such calls dropped from 11,831 to 9,229 after implementing the approach in 2024.
However, the policy has faced scrutiny from various quarters. A 2024 national agreement acknowledged that individuals experiencing mental health crises must not be left without support. Additionally, coroners have raised alarms; a Prevention of Future Deaths report concerning the death of Sophie Cotton in County Durham highlighted that the policy appeared to overlook the reality that mental health teams often cannot enter locked premises.
An inquest into Hobie Harrison’s death is scheduled to take place in November. The family described Hobie as a creative individual who loved music, gardening, and riding his bike. He was under the care of the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust Community Mental Health Team.
How can anyone justify telling desperate parents to hire a locksmith when they know their child is in crisis? This needs urgent review.
IOPC is right, but I wonder if the ‘Right Care, Right Person’ policy itself is fundamentally flawed? Seems to prioritize efficiency over safety.
This is absolutely heartbreaking. The family followed protocol and got a locksmith instead of help. It feels like a system failure.