Groups call to end deploying police for wellness checks
Police deployments for mental wellness checks have come under scrutiny after the deaths of two men in police custody in Halifax last month. The men, who were experiencing mental health distress, were Tasered by responding officers after allegedly becoming aggressive. The Serious Incident Response Team is currently investigating both incidents.
In response to these tragic events, three prison advocacy organizations – East Coast Prison Justice Society, PATH Legal, and the Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia – are calling for an end to police deployments for mental wellness checks. They are advocating for the implementation of a civilian crisis response team in such cases. Halifax Regional Municipality is working towards launching a pilot project for this purpose later this year.
According to Jamie Livingston, a criminology professor at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, a civilian response option would be more effective and less costly than police intervention. Research has shown that individuals dealing with mental health distress and substance use prefer a civilian-led response. More than 200 communities in North America already provide civilian response options, such as the Toronto Community Crisis Service and Anchor in Ottawa.
El Jones, co-author of the 2022 report “Defunding the Police: Defining the Way Forward for HRM,” emphasized the importance of not having police respond to mental wellness checks. Jones highlighted the need for transparency and urgency in implementing civilian crisis response teams to prevent further loss of community members’ lives.
Jones also pointed out that treating mental health as a criminal or public safety issue only serves to increase the stigma surrounding mental health. By shifting the response to civilian-led teams, the hope is to provide better support for individuals in crisis and reduce the negative perceptions associated with mental health issues.
Both Halifax Regional Police and Halifax RCMP have expressed support for civilian-led teams to better serve individuals in crisis. Halifax Regional Police currently partners with the Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team, which pairs a police officer with a mental health clinician to address mental health issues proactively.
In conclusion, the need for a civilian crisis response team for mental wellness checks is becoming increasingly apparent in Halifax. By prioritizing civilian intervention over police deployment, the goal is to provide better care for individuals in crisis and reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues. It is crucial for authorities to act swiftly and decisively in implementing these changes to prevent further tragedies.
