Whereas RCMP members continue to respond to a significant number of calls for service for individuals dealing with mental health challenges and mental health liaison officers have proven to be an effective resource for assisting vulnerable citizens requiring support; And whereas local governments are not provided funding to pay for healthcare and social services and there has been no increase in the Provincial funding model to support these officers responding to chroniccrisis mental health calls: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM advocate for the Province to fund Mental Health Liaison Officers within the RCMP and local police departments.
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General The Province is committed to working with local governments to better understand the complexities of their social environments and community safety needs. In recognition of the interconnectedness of social issues and corresponding police response, in 2024 a Minister of State for Community Safety and Integrated Services was appointed. Additionally, the Cabinet Committee on Community Safety was established to ensure an integrated government response to community safety issues. Bill 17 Police Amendment Act, 2024 established a new type of officer under the Police Act known as a safety officer. Within the local government context, safety officers are intended to support police and local governments along the law enforcement continuum. Establishing a variety of categories of safety officers may help alleviate the challenges police services experience and enable communities to customize their response in alignment with their specific community safety needs. Amendments related to safety officers are not yet in force but are intended to be implemented in the next two years. Under the Police Act, municipalities over 5,000 population are responsible for the provision of policing and law enforcement services within their municipal boundaries. Should a local government wish to have dedicated RCMP Municipal Police resources assigned to specialized positions or a team, they can work with their local detachment to do so. Municipalities seeking to increase the authorized strength of their Municipal Policing Unit should follow the established process outlined under Article 6.0 of the Municipal Policing Unit Agreement.