Peel Regional Police land new grant funding to improve crisis response

Peel Regional Police have been awarded grant funding to improve how the force responds to people in crisis, including funds to pair police officers with social workers.

At an event Monday, Sylvia Jones, Ontario’s solicitor general, announced $22.9 million in funding for Peel police.

Initiatives supported by the funding include a new complex care response team, police said in a press release. The teams will respond to non-violent intimate partner disputes and support people experiencing addiction or homelessness.

The announcement comes after the City of Toronto began to roll out plans for a 911 response team staffed by health-care workers and specialists to respond to people in crisis, instead of police officers.

“This investment will support innovative projects that allow us to work further upstream to proactively identify and address community needs” Chief Nishan Duraiappah said in a statement.

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The grant will also help fund analytical improvements to track Peel’s policing initiatives.

2:14 Anonymous helpline provides confidential peer support to Ontario first responders