Letter dated May 15, 2024 from T. Mandewo, UBCM President, Re: 2024 Resolution - Amendments to the BC Mental Health Act
Acknowledgement of a resolution calling to relieve police officers of the duty to remain with apprehended individuals at hospitals.
May 15, 2024
Mayor Sid Tobias Town of View Royal 45 View Royal Avenue Victoria, BC V9B 1A6
Dear Mayor Tobias:
Re: 2024 Resolution(s)
UBCM confirms receipt of the attached resolution(s) endorsed by your Council and submitted directly to UBCM by the June 15 deadline.
The resolution(s) will be included in UBCM Resolutions Book for the 2024 UBCM Convention in September.
If you have any questions, please contact Jamee Justason, Resolutions and Policy Analyst at 604.270.8226 ext. 100 or jjustason@ubcm.ca.
Sincerely,
Councillor Trish Mandewo UBCM President
Enclosure
Amendment to the BC Mental Health Act to Relieve Officers from Attendance at Hospitals
View Royal
Whereas Section 28 of the British Columbia Mental Health Act specifies a police officer should accompany to hospital persons with apparent mental disorders and acting in a manner likely to endanger the safety of themselves or others;
And whereas the opioid and mental health crisis in British Columbia communities has resulted in an increase in the number and length of times police officers are immobilized to the service of the greater community to sit in hospital waiting rooms while accompanying apprehended individuals until they are seen by a physician:
Therefore be it resolved that the UBCM call on the Provincial government to amend Section 28 of the British Columbia Mental Health Act so that trained hospital staff be given special constable status and peace officer status to relieve police officers of the responsibility of attending hospital emergency departments with apprehended individuals.
Convention Decision:
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