#abolitionisclimatejustice

Due to the lack of funding for mental health services across Ontario, it has become increasingly common for people to call 911 in a moment of crisis. In moments of crisis, police interventions can be dangerous. A 2018 CBC News report showed that between 2000 and 2017 more than 2/3 of people killed by police experienced a mental illness or used substances. This danger is heightened for Black and Indigenous people, as we have tragically seen in the cases of Andrew Loku and D’andre Campbell. Mental health is not a criminal issue.

The police should not be on the frontlines directly responding to a mental health crisis. Yet, in recent years the number of calls to police from people in crisis has only increased. In 2014, Toronto police responded to 20,000 calls involving a person in crisis. This level of contact between police and people in crisis is also reflected in the overrepresentation of people with mental illness in the prison system.

Recently, police departments across Ontario have begun to implement specialized Crisis Intervention Teams (CITs). Some examples include, the Peel Regional Police Mobile Rapid Response Team (rolled out this past January) and the Toronto Police Service Mobile Crisis Intervention Team. Still, little information is publicly available about these programs, their scope, their successes and failures, and how to access them. Without adequate demographic data there is no way for the public to hold police accountable for their encounters with people in crisis.

Sign this petition to demand transparency from the Peel Regional Police and Toronto Police Service Crisis Intervention Teams:

Demand 1: Update the website for your Crisis Intervention Teams. We need:

• Clear details about the program  

• A contact number for questions and feedback

• Accessible hours of availability

• Clarity on how to access the service  

• Additional information about other mental health services, crisis lines, and 211

Demand 2: Collect demographic data on all encounters between police and people experiencing a mental health crisis, including:

• Race

• Gender (self-identified)  

• Type of housing

• Presenting concern

• Any injuries sustained by a client during an encounter with police

• If apprehension under the Mental Health Act was needed (voluntarily or involuntarily)

• If referral to other mental health resources was made and if so which ones

• If follow up was done and how soon after initial contact

Demand 3: Share all data collected about Crisis Intervention Teams with the public annually, or more frequently, and provide accessible formats, including multiple languages.

We need your help to push for transparency, more research, and greater accessibility!

Sign the petition to demand increased transparency from the Peel Regional Police Mobile Rapid Response Teams and Toronto Police Service Mobile Crisis Intervention Team.

Our goal is 1000 signatures before the end of the month!