PG RCMP Concerned With Spike In Mental Health-Related Calls
Number of calls to local RCMP to deal with mental health-related issues graph courtesy PG RCMP
Prince George, BC – Prince George RCMP have seen a dramatic increase in the number of call-for-service to deal with mental health-related issues.
While total calls for service in 2013 rose by just three-percent, there was a 13-percent increase in the number of calls dealing with mental health and addictions issues. In the past four years, RCMP have seen those types of calls climb by 40-percent.
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"'They're difficult calls for us, obviously," said Stubbs, "If people are suffering from a mental health illness – and a lot of times when they are going through a particular crisis, alcohol and/or drugs could be part of that – and it makes it a very high risk business for us."
"So, it's a number that I would certainly like to see come down and we have to work even harder with our partners to try to work on this issue."
When questioned by Councillor Brian Skakun on possible causes for the increase, the Officer in Charge of the Prince George Detachment pointed there are many layers to the problem, including funding and staffing cuts to mental health services. But he also said police noted an influx of people with mental health issues into the community in July of last year.
While pleased to see a downward trend in most major crimes laid out in Stubbs' report, Mayor Shari Green, said, "The one that concerns me, of course, is mental health and addiction and it's going the wrong direction in terms of required police presence with that – so that's a bigger, deeper challenge that is beyond our capacity as a council of nine to solve."
Green pointed out mental health and addiction issues were the main focus of discussion during a stop in the city in December by the provincial government's Blue Ribbon Panel on Crime Reduction. "Police are often the first responder and that is the municipal cost, if you will – never mind the human cost and all the things around that – but the actual dollars expended that a municipality pays in policing. You're spending a lot of time as that chart shows in having to address what is a very unfortunate circumstance for some people." The mayor said she's hopeful the panel's final report may address some of the issues.
"Certainly the mayor has raised the issue that it's beyond our ability to mend," said Councillor Murry Krause. "But as elected local governments we can advocate with the Province for enhanced services in our communities."
Superintendent Stubbs said RCMP continue to search for local solutions. He said they are working very hard with the medical community and the mental health community, meeting regularly. He added local police are considering a number of initiatives, including Surrey's 'car 67 program', where a mental health professional will ride with RCMP officers to attend calls of this nature.
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“Superintendent Stubbs said RCMP continue to search for local solutions. He said they are working very hard with the medical community and the mental health community, meeting regularly.”
I don’t know about the medical community, but I’m involved with the mental health community and I haven’t heard a word about the RCMP meeting with psychologists, therapists, counsellors, or social workers.
Anyone else know anything about these “meetings”?
Whew, glad they dodged that one, now they can blame any increase in criminal activity on the mentally ill, just like they can shift the high murder rate in PG into the increased “missing persons” rate for men in our area.
Those men aren’t murdered, they are just “permanently missing”, right?
But he also said police noted an influx of people with mental health issues into the community in July of last year.
Why did this come about? We are not a destination point, unless they were asked or told to come here, warmer climates like those of the Okanogan and Lower Mainland make more sense
Yeah, what happened in July?
Govt thinks the mentally unstable are better off living amongst us. For some perhaps it is. Its easy to see for whom it isn’t.
Sounds like a lot of hot air was produced, maybe it will help warm the outdoor temperature a half degree.
The base problem, which they seem to be avoiding, is indeed the “addiction issues” spoken of, but in true political fashion, they are discussing ways to treat the symptoms, while ignoring the much more difficult task of going after the real problem. Like pruning the branches of a tree for beautification purposes, instead of treating the root rot.
metalman.
addiction and mental health are both medical issues and the justice system will never be able to deal with these.
But doctors are unwilling to deal with difficult issues and I have found that they don’t want to do any research or consult with other professionals that may help.
Then there is the fact that many people cant even access a family dr, or the family dr is working at like 5 different places so when you call for an appointment it takes 3 weeks to get in.
I am sick of people expecting rcmp, courts, and jail to fix medical problems. it just proves how stupid policy makers truly are.
ERT applied their solution!
“So, it’s a number that I would certainly like to see come down and we have to work even harder with our partners to try to work on this issue.”
While it is very troubling that the number of calls has gone up, something to consider is that maybe the higher number isn’t cut and paste a bad indication.
Mental health in the past has been largely misunderstood and had such a negative stigma attached to it. Organizations have been working hard to alleviate some of that; letting people know that they should call someone if necessary. So how many of those additional calls in 2011-2013 are a reflection that as a society, people are beginning to understand that mental health is a prevalent issue and thereby making it more acceptable to report or seek assistance?
I do not see a comparison to other communities anywhere. If these stats are based on mental health act related incidents, other communities must be maintaining similar statistics. If so, why seek local solutions if this is a province wide issue?
Seek and ye shall find …. saved a trip to the UNBC library one more time …. ;-)
Vancouver is having a mental health crisis … Do they need some researchers at the RCMP here??? Maybe new quarters will make them a bit more productive.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CCsQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvancouver.ca%2Fpolice%2Fassets%2Fpdf%2Freports-policies%2Fmental-health-crisis.pdf&ei=evkMU7faHMfsoATK8oLIAg&usg=AFQjCNEpg9FkmDQOn9lSILOccT6NpnXauA&bvm=bv.61725948,d.cGU
Maybe the RCMP should find a shrink. Put him/her on speed dial. Problem solved.
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