Capacity increased for crisis team in Calgary
Posted Jun 24, 2021 3:57 pm.
Last Updated Jun 24, 2021 3:59 pm.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) — A crisis team that involves members of the Calgary police and Alberta Health Services is expanding.
The Police and Crisis Team (PACT) will now be active for 22 hours every day, an increase of four hours, with double the capacity to respond to incoming calls during daytime hours. The adjusted hours for the team are now 6 a.m. to 4 a.m.
The team pairs officers with mental health clinicians, to help find better solutions for calls involving people in crisis instead of taking them to jail or hospitals, by connecting them with more proper resources and supports.
Over 5,000 people have been assisted by these teams since the program launched in 2009.
Some of the funding for this increase is being covered by budget re-allocation efforts from the Calgary Police Service, with Alberta Health Services also giving some financial support.
“We know that people experiencing a mental health crisis deserve and need specialized care,” said Staff Sgt. Peter Duchnij of the CPS Restorative Justice Unit in a press release. “Since its inception, PACT has made a meaningful difference and we know this increase in their mandate will better serve our community.”
Six AHS clinicians and six police officers have been hired to make this expansion possible.
During discussions about the police budget, Chief Constable Mark Neufeld spoke in favour of the team and said they help a lot in terms of preventing officers from being tied up in hospitals on mental health calls and boosting support for these sorts of initiatives can improve their level of service.
