Local police officers are spending more time dealing with missing and vulnerable persons than investigating crime.
Tayside's police chief last week told Perth and Kinross councillors the shift represented a "societal challenge".
Chief superintendent Phil Davison was presenting the latest quarterly policing report to Perth and Kinross Council's housing and communities committee.
Following his presentation at the virtual meeting on Monday, January 24, Perth City South Liberal Democrat councillor Liz Barrett asked what was being done to address the increasing number of people in crisis with mental health issues.
Divisional commander Ch Supt Phil Davison said: "The increasing policing activity that's in the space of missing people or vulnerability calls where there are behavioural concerns around-about is increasing significantly such that at any time it's now accounting for way more than traditional police activity into the investigation of crime.
"That position reflects a societal challenge.
"It's absolutely been an increased challenge because of the pandemic and the impact has been a real issue for all."
Tayside's top police officer told councillors they were looking at a public health approach to policing to ensure people get the most appropriate support to their point of crisis.
He said: "On a national basis there is a new tri-service arrangement between the Scottish Ambulance Service, NHS 24 and Police Scotland."
He said calls coming into the police assessed as having mental health vulnerability in them can be diverted to NHS 24 allowing those with mental health nursing expertise to deal with them.
Ch Supt Davison told councillors of a service being piloted in neighbouring Dundee - a mental health triage car. It is also being piloted in Inverness and Glasgow. The cars are staffed by a paramedic (with additional mental health training), a mental health nurse and sometimes a police officer.
Perth and Kinross area commander chief inspector Graham Binnie pointed to the success of Perth and Kinross services such as The Neuk and The Lighthouse for Perth. He said both had been "of great use" to local officers.
