How do Police Services in Ontario Classify and Respond to Mental Health Crisis Calls?

The purpose of this project is to explore if there was a significant increase in the number of mental health calls received by Police Services in Ontario outside of Peterborough since 2010 and if the number of mental health calls have remained at an elevated level since 2010. A literature review was conducted to gather information on mental health calls, legislation, the political landscape from 2010 to present, police officer training, and programs targeted to minimize the amount of mental health calls received by Police Services across Ontario. Data on the number of mental health calls received by Police Services was collected from Police annual reports and compared. Fact finding meetings were also completed with members from the Peterborough Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police to gain a procedural understanding of the dispatch system.