“I wish we could have them everywhere. Unfortunately we just don’t have the funds for that,' said a RCMP spokesperson.
Bill Pringle has attempted suicide eight times and police have always been the first to arrive at his home to save his life.
Pringle moved to Saskatoon shortly after, where he said his experiences with police have been mixed depending on if the responding officers appear to be trained in assisting people in crisis. “When I didn’t have difficulty with police, my stays in hospital have always been shorter and recovery more complete,” he said. “Them being responsive to my needs more than the system’s needs made a significant difference.” Police forces are experiencing an unprecedented surge in mental health-related calls, according to statistics HuffPost reviewed from eight services and all 13 RCMP divisions.
Police services in Halifax, Montreal, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Ontario’s Peel Region declined to provide information for this story without HuffPost filing a freedom of information request that can take months to complete.The data provided to HuffPost does not represent all police interactions with people suffering from mental illness, as some incidents may be filed as an assault, weapons complaint, suspicious occurrence, or noise complaint, among other situations.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ferocious SNFU singer Chi Pig led the hardcore punk sceneHe was admired for his wild onstage persona and became a role model for gay youth in the subculture, but offstage he struggled with addictions and mental health
Read more »
LIVE: Federal health officials update on COVID-19Public health officials give an update on COVID-19 case numbers in Canada. Watch LIVE 12 ET.
Read more »
No cause yet for bus crash that killed three near glacier in Jasper National ParkMounties say they remain at the Columbia Icefield between Banff and Jasper with a collision reconstructionist, occupational health and safety personnel, Parks Canada, and removal crews
Read more »
New COVID-19 outbreaks among young adults in Canada spark concern about bars, restaurantsCanada’s deputy chief public health officer, Dr. Howard Njoo, says local authorities need to decide whether bars or restaurants should be allowed to continue to reopen
Read more »
Organizations increasingly supporting Indigenous talent despite COVID-19 pandemic constraintsNew initiatives are cropping up across Canada in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call to develop and hire more Indigenous talent
Read more »
Bridgewater, N.S. police officer stabbed while responding to domestic violence call; suspect at largePolice in Bridgewater, N.S., are searching for a suspect after one of their officers was stabbed and badly injured while responding to a domestic violence call.
Read more »