Outreach workers in Victoria will try to stop a VicPD request for two new officers during a council meeting on Thursday.
The police department will ask the city for two police officers to work hand-in-hand with a mental health outreach team.
The Victoria Integrated Community Outreach Team helps people who are struggling with mental health issues.
Support workers at S.O.L.I.D., an organization that provides support to Victoria’s drug community, say they don’t need more police officers.
“They have inappropriate training. They’re not suited to do outreach work, their work is with enforcement, law enforcement,” Jack Phillips said. “The last thing you need is somebody who’s ill to have any kind of enforcement done on them.”
VicPD disagrees and says its officers should be given a chance.
“We will have better outcomes for people, in fact we’ll save money because there will be less police calls, less people in crisis, less hospitalization” acting chief Del Manak said. “It’s really about better outcomes for the people that need it most.”
Currently there’s one full-time officer working with the outreach teams and an additional officer working on a short term project, servicing close to 300 clients.
The two-year pilot project would come with a $240,000 price tag. That money could be better spent somewhere else, Phillips says.
“Like social workers, like street nurses, like harm reduction workers,” he added.
The mayor supports the proposal, but says it’s not the city’s jurisdiction.
“As soon as we start hiring outreach workers, as soon as we start hiring social workers we say to the province ‘oh well don’t worry we’ll take care of that too,’” Lisa Helps said. “Health is clearly a provincial responsibility.”
Phillips hopes to change Helps’ mind on Thursday and limit police involvement with a vulnerable population.
“If you come with a gun on you, you’re not bringing help,” he said. “That’s the impression that’s going to be left with anybody from this community.”
With files from CTV Vancouver Island's Louise Hartland
