More funding for the OPP’s Mobile Crisis Unit
The Kenora OPP is receiving provincial funding to help out with it’s mobile crisis unit.
This year, the Solicitor General is providing over 281 thousand dollars for the program.
Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford says statistics show, the program really does help.
“There’s a 74 percent decrease in the amount of police involvement in a call, once they’ve established it’s a mental health issue, as opposed to something that police would have to be involved with in great length and provide more appropriate mental health care,” says Rickford.
Rickford says this year the province is spending $91 million on 127 projects through the Community Safety and Policing Grant.
“We’re the first ones in the province to announce the rollout to the tune of almost $300,000 dollars. This is an incredible resource. It’s a mobile unit; an Adult and Youth Mobile Crisis support team.”
88 projects will address local priorities, and 39 projects will address provincial priorities, including gun and gang related violence, sexual violence and harassment, human trafficking, mental health and addictions, hate-motivated crime, housing and homelessness, and commercial/retail theft.
(Photo from Tom Thomson)
