UBCM RESOLUTION - BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Supplemental information explaining the impact of the opioid and mental health crises on police resources and the need for legislative change.
UBCM RESOLUTION
AMENDMENT TO THE BRITISH COLUMBIA MENTAL HEALTH ACT TO RELIEVE OFFICERS FROM ATTENDANCE AT HOSPITALS BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The opioid crisis, a mental health crisis, the primary care crisis, and homelessness have all compounded to change policing in our towns and cities.
Every day in towns and cities across the Province, RCMP and municipal police officers apprehend individuals experiencing mental health and substance abuse crisis and must stay by their sides in hospital emergency departments until they are seen by a physician.
The Province has responded to the issue with a toolkit developed by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. Still, the situation has not improved and as a lack of primary care providers results in overload situations in hospital emergency departments, wait times for police officers and their charges continue to be long.
Not only is this a waste of expensive resources paid by municipalities and a diminishment of police service to communities, it is a human dignity issue. To be so publicly in the custody of a police officer, often for hours, is embarrassing and stygmatizing for the apprehended person and shows a distinct lack of compassion by the system.
The British Columbia Mental Health Act needs to be amended so that individuals apprehended and accompanied to a hospital emergency department by police can be handed over to other trained, qualified and authorized persons, allowing police officers to remain in service to their communities.