SASKATOON – An inquest into the death of 19-year-old Brandon Daniels in a Saskatoon police cell in 2010 has raised questions about mental health services in the city.
Daniels was found slumped on a bench covered in vomit when police arrested him and died 12 hours later in a police cell from an overdose of Tylenol.
He had suffered from a mental illness.
Services to help police deal with mental health and addictions on the streets exist in other cities but not Saskatoon, despite a successful pilot program.
“The question that we have to ask is, is someone slumped over in a chair a police issue, is it a health issue, is it a mental health issue, an addiction issue?,” said Saskatoon Police Service Inspector Mitch Yuzdepski.
“The potential certainly exists that had a PACT unit intervened that outcome could have been different,” he added.
A Police and Crisis Team (PACT) was a pilot program that ran in Saskatoon last year.
A psychiatrist from the Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Centre rode along with a police officer, co-responding to calls involving mental health and addictions.
“In many of those occasions other than the warrants they were able to find some sort of solution for them other than necessarily an arrest,” said Yuzdepski.
“Most provinces in Canada have some type of PACT, Police and Crisis Team operating,” said Rita Field, Executive Director of the Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Centre.
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“We’re growing and the need is growing and some of these situations are quite complex and I think it’s better to have a few sets of eyes on the situation,” she said.
The problem is funding, $300,000 to be exact.
“We’re looking at 12 hours a day, 365 days of the year so what’s holding us up is we really need the resources,” said Field.
The provincial government says projects like PACT would be funded out of the Saskatoon Health Region’s existing budget or if they identify it as a priority they can request additional funds during budget submissions.
The region says it’s currently in the budget planning process and will have a better idea of its priorities come the new year.
Brandon Daniels’ mother knows the inquest wont bring many answers but she does hope it brings recommendations for change.
“I’m hoping people understand or try and learn more about mental illness, it’s out there and we need to help these people,” said Sherry Bird outside court on Monday.
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