Belleville Police Chief Ron Gignac (File photo: Quinte News)
Mental health issues are an everyday part of a police officer’s working life.
Belleville Chief of Police Ron Gignac told the Police Services Board that his officers
responded to 1,114 calls for service last year that directly involved mental health challenges.
And, the Chief added that on top of that number there were many more domestic and other dispute calls that had some sort of mental health problem as a cause.
Chief Gignac had high praise for the recently formed Hastings County Community Safety and Well-Being Situation Table for helping dozens of people.
The Situation Table involves around 30 agencies including addictions and mental health, school boards, police. and the health unit. Chief Gignac hopes a few more organizations will join in the near future as the problem is a growing one and more needs to be done.
