An official inspection report has praised Leicestershire Police for the way it uses its powers under the Mental Health Act.
The Act gives police the power to detain people in police cells for an assessment where it is necessary to protect them or the public from harm,without a crime being committed.
The report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and the Care Quality Commission stated that people should only be detained in this way in exceptional cases.
In Leicestershire and Rutland, 420 out of 451 people detained under the act last year were taken to Glenfield Hospital site or to an emergency department and looked after by the NHS.
The remainder - less than seven per cent - were taken to police cells either because they were violent or extremely drunk.
Nationally the inspectors found that up to 76 per cent of people detained under the act ended up in police cells.
Chief Inspector Pete Jackson from Leicestershire Police said: "We are pleased that this report recognises the work that is taking place in Leicestershire.
"It is an important contribution in the debate about how best to deal with people in crisis, and that is a debate we are keen to play our part in.
"As a force we have prioritised the way we deal with people with mental health issues for several years.
"We have been working constructively with our partners in Leicestershire Partnership Trust, the Probation Trust and University Hospitals of Leicestershire, and some of those results have been recognised in the report."
To see the full report, visit: www.hmic.gov.uk
