The Barrie Police Services Board is backing involuntary addiction treatment, saying police officers are repeatedly dealing with people experiencing severe addictions and complex needs without enough tools to break the cycle.
"The current approach is not working," the board stated in a news release on Tuesday.
In a statement released Tuesday, the board said it “echoes Premier Doug Ford’s recent comments regarding involuntary addiction treatment” and supports continued provincial movement toward treatment for people who are unwilling or unable to seek help for themselves.
“Every day, Barrie Police officers respond to people dealing with addiction, mental health challenges and other complex needs,” the board said.
The board said frontline officers spend significant amounts of time connecting people with services, helping those in crisis and trying to find a safe way forward when existing options are not enough.
“We keep sending police officers to the same crises, knowing that the current system does not have the tools to break the cycle,” the board said.
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The statement comes less than three weeks after the Canadian Press reported that Ford was open to the idea of involuntary addiction treatment.
Ford made the comments Sept. 10 as Ontario's Big City Mayors renewed their call for the province to review existing mental health laws with the possibility of expanding involuntary treatment.
Ford said he was open to the idea as long as it could help people and communities, while saying he wanted to discuss the issue with mayors.
The province is currently studying involuntary mental health and addiction treatment in jails, but had not proceeded with legislation on the issue as of the Sept. 10 Canadian Press report.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones has not ruled out involuntary treatment, but has said she prefers voluntary treatment and is consulting with experts on the issue.
Ontario's Big City Mayors first asked the province two years ago to review the Mental Health Act and Health Care Consent Act, which allow for short periods of involuntary hospital admission. The group renewed its call in late August, saying the crisis was continuing to worsen.
Barrie is part of the Ontario Big City Mayors group.
The Barrie Police Services Board said any move toward involuntary addiction treatment would need the resources to provide “meaningful, long-term change,” including for people unwilling or unable to seek help for themselves.
