Victoria police request $240,000 for officers to tackle mental health

The Victoria Police Department (VicPD) is hoping to hire two new officers specifically to help people with mental health issues.

“We’re not going out pretending we are mental health experts because we are not. We are police officers engaged in our duties, who come across people suffering with mental illness and substance use,” VicPD acting chief Del Manak said.

The number of calls to police involving mental health has grown in recent years.

“It’s happening way too often in our community… we want to intervene at a much earlier stage and keep people connected to the services and we can do better,” Manak said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's happening way too often in our community… we want to intervene at a much earlier stage and keep people connected to the services and we can do better," Manak said.

There’s only one officer helping four community treatment teams in the region right now and that’s not enough, Manak said.

The teams include nursing staff, outreach workers and a probation officer.

Police have requested just over $240,000 in municipal funding for two new officers dedicated to mental health calls and early intervention, after the city turned them down around this time last year.

The officers would serve both the city of Victoria and the Township of Esquimalt, with Victoria taxpayers footing 84 per cent of the cost.

However, Victoria’s mayor and council are divided on whether to grant VicPD’s request.

“One issue is police officers are quite expensive for the taxpayer. Social workers don’t require quite the range of skills as a police officer,” Victoria Coun. Geoff Young said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "One issue is police officers are quite expensive for the taxpayer. Social workers don't require quite the range of skills as a police officer," Victoria Coun. Geoff Young said.

The other issue, Young said, is that some councillors feel it should be up to the province to cough up the money since it’s a health issue.

But the province said it comes down to policing and that’s up to the city.

“In my opinion adding these two officers would put us in line with other major cities in Canada,” Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said.

Victoria council will decide on Jan. 26 whether to include VicPD’s funding request as part of its 2017 budget.