Six reports tabled at recent board of police commissioners meeting

The Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners tabled six reports at its most recent meeting revolving around community services in 2021.

The reports had a common theme: pursuing overall wellness for Saskatoon residents.

“We talked about a lot of variety of issues, with many of them centred around mental health challenges seen in the community dealing with addictions and mental health. I think it also highlighted the need for strong partnerships,” said Saskatoon chief of police Troy Cooper.

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The Board of Police Commissioners also released its annual report on arrests and many other stats from 2021.

In 2021, the police and crisis team dealt with 1,894 dispatched calls, an increase of 20 per cent from 2020, according to a report from the Saskatoon Police Service to the board.

The report also said call volume “has increased every month from 2020, with noticeable increases towards the end of 2021.”

In December 2021, the police and crisis team, also known as PACT, dealt with 197 dispatches, the highest of any month during the year.

The report said PACT units diverted 353 people from going to an emergency room last year. This marks a 27 per cent increase from 2020.

Not only is this important in monetary terms, as every diverted emergency room visit saves the health system $800 and every diverted day in hospital saves $550, but it also saves space for others in need.

“The diversions are reducing costs and providing a needed service for people suffering from mental health and addiction in the community,” the report said.

“With the increasing mental health and addiction calls, this would alleviate the pressure on our calls for service to patrol officers, divert arrests in our cells, divert individuals from the Emergency Departments and allow for the reduction of acutely elevated-risk situations,” the report said.

Mental health continues to be the number one risk factor and has been since 2018. Drugs and housing followed closely behind in 2021, with criminal involvement a continuing risk factor throughout the last four years.

The full report can be found online at Vulnerable Persons Unit – 2021 Annual Report

Other items discussed were a potential additional unit and lower priority 911 calls along with possible improvements for the caller.

Communications and consultation are always ongoing for the board of commissioners as the SPS is responsible for the community’s needs and well-being.

“We listen to a lot of people and these are some of the things that we have told us, and we have taken it back to the SPS for ways for them to respond to the community’s needs,” said commissioner chair Jo Custead.

Another report discussed with great attention was the presentation done by the Air Traffic Control unit. Members added that they have received complaints from residents about muffler noise from planes at night. The response from the air traffic officer was that it’s likely not us they are hearing, as there are a lot of planes flying about at night.

Cooper said that in the 35 incidents of individuals attempting to evade police that took place during 2021, air support was of great assistance, granting Saskatoon police eyes in the sky.

“Our air support unit was the primary unit we dispatched to evade police incidents. They have been wildly successful in reducing the need for police resources, and reducing the likelihood of injury for residents, officers and suspects,” Cooper told Global News.

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Cooper also took a moment to read an appreciation for a police report to the board members.

Board members reiterated all reports presented shared a common theme in mind, innovation, and reflectiveness of overall community safety, and additional means of potential areas of improvement.

“Our mission is to create a culture of community safety. If you go to those six reports, they were very much a culture of community safety,” Custead said.

To finish the meeting, the board also brought back a resolution on drug decriminalization which will be sent to the Canadian Association of Police Governance in September for review.