Relationships have changed, because from the get-go, people trust us more. We take matters into our own hands through our approach and the social workers. It's not just a matter of responding to a call, resolving the situation quickly and leaving. We really have to get to the bottom of things and deal not with the situation, but with the individual. People often have substance abuse, addiction or mental health problems. These are social issues that were exacerbated by the pandemic. We had some social issues before the pandemic, but they've worsened since then. This approach allows people to receive care from the right person, rather than letting them go through a revolving door, and by that I mean letting them enter and leave the justice system and the health care system.
Val-d'Or is probably the only place in the world where a psychiatrist comes to a police station once a month to provide care to people on the street. It was set up and it's a success, because people with mental health problems don't often go to their appointments. That way, through the EMIPIC, members of the community and other community stakeholders, we make sure that people are taken care of and that the things and the care they receive are tailored to their situation.
As you said, it's changed our day-to-day operations. The best approach we've adopted is to take the time to resolve situations. People often say that the police arrive, resolve the situation and then leave. However, our approach lets us take the time. People help residents do their taxes when they have trouble doing them on their own. They take the time to help them. People go with residents to a store to buy boots, because some are unable to do that, especially when it's cold in the winter. Those are things we can do every day. When people's basic needs are being met, they tend not to cause disorder in public. They are taken care of and things go better for them.