The City of Orillia has received a grant to cover the salary of a police officer who will focus on mental health-related issues in the community.
The Orillia Police Services Board applied for a Community Safety and Policing grant and received $225,000 — $75,000 per year for three years.
“The detachment is looking to maintain and enhance its Mental Health Response Unit (MHRU),” explained Kristine Preston, executive director with the Orillia Police Services Board.
The MHRU partners with Canadian Mental Health Association crisis workers, who often attend mental health-related calls with police. That partnership began in 2018.
From May 2017 to May 2018, when there wasn’t a dedicated MHRU in Orillia, police responded to 932 mental health-related calls. Between May 2018 and May 2019, that number jumped to 1,018, 40 of which were initially responded to by the MHRU.
Police have noted a decrease in apprehensions and hospital wait times, as well as an increase in community partnerships as they try to keep people out of hospital and out of jail.
The funding was welcome news to the board and the city.
“If we had not received this grant, we would have had to figure out how to recoup those costs,” Preston said.
There was uncertainty about policing grants following the 2018 provincial election, as the newly elected Progressive Conservative government indicated it would review the grants. It resulted in the local police board receiving about $25,000 less per year than it previously had. The city decided to cover the balance during recent budget talks.
After three years, the police board plans to apply again for the MHRU grant.
“We’re always open to grant opportunities. It helps offset the cost of policing for the municipality,” Preston said.
