We need to invite the police to step down at the front end and at the back end of that whole process. Unofficially and informally, we receive calls from the community to do wellness checks that the police never even know about. I and the people I work with will knock on any door in any neighbourhood in Winnipeg, and we have. That's the front end. I think we're okay to take care of the front end. If we need police, we'll call.
The back end is having police tied up in the hospitals, in the emergency rooms, and I think that could be better served by mental health workers doing that role as well.
Thank you.