'Not sustainable' for police to be 1st responders to mental health, addictions crisis: police chief
CBC
Windsor's chief of police told the police services board on Thursday it's not sustainable for officers to be the lead agency on mental health and addictions emergency calls.
The police board, led by Mayor Drew Dilkens, wants the federal and provincial levels of government to spend more money on support programs. The board has also renewed calls for a mental health emergency response centre in Windsor.
Chief Jason Bellaire, under questioning by board member and city councillor Jo-Anne Gignac, said officers are responding to mental health and addictions calls that they are not subject experts in.
"We've seen the occasional bad consequences of that," he told the board.
Bellaire said that the service, which operates on a near $100-million budget that is 20 per cent of the city's net operating budget, does not get enough money from upper levels of government to continue acting as the lead agency on emergency mental health calls.
"Not even close," he said.
"I do think its going to get better but it's not sustainable."
Gignac started the discussion after reviewing an annual report of statistics tracked through Ontario's Risk-driven Tracking Database.
The report outlines local priorities different community agencies share related to public safety.
It highlighted that mental health was the top risk factor to public safety across the province.
"I think the evidence is pretty darn clear," said Gignac.
"We're really struggling especially as larger cities in terms of the reality of mental health issues and drug addictions."
Bellaire highlighted partnerships that police have been part of in recent years as ways the service is trying to adjust how it responds to calls that involve people in crisis.
That includes programs that sees a Windsor police officer work with Family Services Windsor-Essex, who do outreach with people who are homeless, and the Nurse and Police Team that pairs emergency department nurses with police office.
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