Brandon Police to Launch Innovative Crisis Response Unit

A new crisis response unit aimed at enhancing public safety and mental health support will debut in Brandon, Manitoba, next month. This initiative, announced by the city’s police chief, will pair police officers with mental health professionals to effectively address mental health emergencies.

The initiative emerged from the Brandon Police Service’s Downtown Public Safety Strategy, which was outlined in an engagement summary released recently. This summary highlighted the consistent concerns raised by community members during a series of consultation meetings focused on public safety and mental health.

Insp. Dana McCallum emphasized the community’s desire for a safe and welcoming downtown area. “Everyone just wants a safe and viable downtown,” she stated. “We want downtown to be a welcoming space, receptive to business, so that we can see people shopping and enjoying the spaces down there and just feeling safe.”

The public consultation process included five meetings with downtown residents, community partners, business owners, and members of the Brandon Police Service (BPS). Additionally, BPS organized three action sessions between May and August to gather further input from various stakeholders.

To guide the implementation of the new crisis response unit, the BPS has formed a steering committee, co-chaired by Insp. McCallum and downtown resident Deveryn Ross. “That steering committee will decide what actions can be realistically implemented,” McCallum explained.

One of the key actions being implemented is the establishment of “collaborative crisis response units.” Each unit will consist of a police officer paired with a psychiatric nurse to respond to mental health emergencies. McCallum expressed optimism about the initiative, stating, “I think it’ll be very beneficial to actually have trained professionals dealing with those mental health calls.”

Chief Tyler Bates stated that this new team will provide meaningful and empathetic interventions, ensuring that individuals in “significant distress” are directed to appropriate community resources. Historically, police officers have responded to mental health calls without specialized training. Bates noted, “Police officers are not mental health professionals or practitioners. Whether we’re dealing with somebody who is a threat to the community or in a psychotic episode, it is often more of a health issue.”

Bates highlighted the necessity of having community resources available, which was a prevalent concern in the engagement summary. Many participants raised issues regarding insufficient resources for individuals facing mental health crises, homelessness, and substance abuse. A recurring proposal was the construction of a dedicated mental health hospital or recovery center in Brandon, especially since the city’s previous mental health facility closed in the 1990s.

Co-chair Ross remarked on the lasting impact of the mental health center’s closure, saying, “We’re asking a lot of the downtown area and have for a long time. The burden just gets heavier.” He also noted the need for other areas of the city to contribute to addressing these challenges. “It’s not only an issue of fairness but also capacity,” he stated.

Ross expressed appreciation for the consultation process, remarking that it was the first time in over 50 years that residents had been consulted on these issues. “It has impacted us directly in terms of our safety, property values, and quality of life. No level of government has ever taken the time to talk to us about how their decisions were impacting us,” he said.

The engagement summary compiled by Mosaic Engagement included insights from over 90 participants, outlining four priority areas: communication, augmenting enforcement, resources, and infrastructure.

As Brandon prepares for the launch of this crisis response unit, the community looks forward to more coordinated efforts in addressing mental health emergencies effectively and compassionately.