Toronto police say they are reviewing mobile crisis intervention teams to reduce 'reliance' on program
CBC
Toronto police say they are reviewing their mobile crisis intervention teams that respond to calls for people in crisis to "reduce our reliance" on the program.
In an email on Friday, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) said there is no timeline for the review of the mobile crisis intervention teams or MCITs, but that the review is part of a broader strategy to "refocus officers on core policing duties and explore alternative mental health response models."
Nadine Ramadan, spokesperson for the police, said in the email the aim is to "make room for alternative non-police response teams where police respond to violent and high-risk calls, while non-violent mental health calls are triaged to the Toronto Community Crisis Service."
On its website, TPS says the MCIT program operates in 16 police divisions in the city and consists of 25 police officers and 35 full-time, part-time and casual mental health nurses.
How the service will reduce its reliance on MCITs is part of the review, Ramadan said.
The MCITs are a partnership between TPS and participating hospitals, police say.
As part of the program, a mental health nurse is paired with a specially trained police officer to respond to 911 emergency and police dispatch calls involving people experiencing a mental health crisis. The teams aim to improve service to those in crisis and remove a person from serious harm to themselves or others.
The teams also assess the person in crisis and connect person to an appropriate follow-up service or apprehend them under the Mental Health Act.
Police are partnered with the following health networks and hospitals through the program:
The Toronto Community Crisis Service, meanwhile, is a separate service that works with the police and is the city's fourth emergency response service after Toronto police, paramedics and fire services.
The city says its community crisis service provides a "model of mental health and addiction crisis response that is community-based, client-centred and trauma-informed." Residents can call 211 to be connected to the service. If there is a risk of violence, police will respond to the call.
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