Mental health calls a drain on police resources: mayor

 

 RECORD PHOTO BY AUSTIN GRABISH

Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson says too many RCMP officers are being tied up in Selkirk responding to mental health calls.

By Austin Grabish, The Selkirk Record

Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson says the number of mental health related calls RCMP are responding to has become a costly expense that should be curbed.

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities says police have been tied up with mental health calls for years. 

But Mounties and the province say responding to the calls is simply part of an RCMP officer’s job.

Johannson said the issue has become pressing given the rising costs of police services.

“I really want something done,” Johannson said.

“This has been on our plate too long.”

Johannson said officers in Selkirk are constantly being taken away from their normal duties, and for several hours at a time, because they have to respond to a mental health call.

The Mental Health Act says officers are required to stay with patients until they’ve been examined by a healthcare professional or admitted to the appropriate facility.  

But Johannson said police are often stuck waiting for hours with patients until medical staff can see them.

He said taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for increased police costs due to mental health calls. He said roughly 30 per cent of the City of Selkirk’s budget goes to police costs.

“That’s a huge chunk of a budget,” Johannson said.

“If you can cut the RCMP budget by five per cent perhaps by not having to deal so much with the Mental Health Act just think what you could do with the five per cent.”

Johannson said the City has a positive relationship with the RCMP, but wants a change to happen soon so costs can be lowered.

“I’d just like to see the door open to some brainstorming to see if there’s an answer to this,” Johannson said.

“I just wish we could work together… and try to think of some way we can reduce these costs,” Johannson said.

The executive director of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities said the problem has grown in recent years and a change to the Mental Health Act is needed.

“It’s certainly a major concern for our members,” said Joe Masi in a phone interview.

“We’ve had a lot of discussions with the RCMP about this.”

And the issue isn’t just in Manitoba. Media reports found online show Mounties across the country are being tied up responding to mental health calls.

In Surrey B.C. a special program called Car 67 has been enacted to help free up police resources.

When Mounties get a call relating to emotional and mental health they can respond by sending a uniformed officer with a nurse in an unmarked car.

If the caller needs to be hospitalized a health professional can take over the duties a responding officer would normally be responsible for.

RCMP spokeswoman Tara Seel said Mounties who are responding to mental health calls are simply doing their jobs.

“We are a law enforcement agency and enforce the laws as they are written,” Seel said in an email.

Masi said the Association’s members passed a resolution at its annual meeting late last year so it could look for a solution to the problem.  

He said the Association will bring up the issue with the province at a meeting next month.

“We think there should be a better way to not use the valuable police resources,” Masi said.

Johannson thinks the province and feds should be footing the bill for the police calls.

“We have to go up the chain of command here and work with the other two levels of government,” Johannson said.

A provincial spokeswoman said not all crises require police involvement.

“However police are an important and valued partner in responding to mental health crisis when it is required,” the spokeswoman wrote in an email.

-- First published in the Selkirk Record print edition February 19, 2015 p.9