Port Moody Police get new tool to help with crisis calls

Police officers in Port Moody, B.C., are about to start using a digital public safety system to de-escalate and navigate situations that involve mental health and addiction, Mike Farnworth, solicitor general and public safety minister, said Wednesday.

The digital risk screening tool, called HealthIM, aims to assist officers attending crisis calls by giving advice and guidance from health officialsto better understand the behaviour of the person who prompted the call. It also offers evidence-based information about mental health and addiction situations, Farnworthsaid at a news conference.

Farnworth said the digital tool, already in use by municipal police in Delta and the RCMP in Surrey and Prince George, will officially launch Thursday in Port Moody.

It is also currently being used by police in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, he said.

"It gives the police a better understanding in terms of what they are dealing with," said Farnworth. "The history of the individual. They're able to communicate ahead with the hospital they may have to attend to. This has been used in Ontario with great success, and other provinces are now using it."

A report from a special committee on reforming the Police Act, released in 2022, concluded that standards were needed when police respond to mental health crises or conduct wellness checks.

WATCH | B.C. ministerannounces Port Moody Police's new crisis call tool:

New tool to help Port Moody Police attend to mental health, addiction calls

6 months ago

Duration 2:50

Starting March 7, 2024, Port Moody Police will start using a digital risk screening tool called HealthIM to assist with mental health and substance use crisis calls. Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth says the tool will eventually be used throughout the province.

He said departments already using the tool in B.C. are "finding it very effective, and I think that's the appropriate way to go. When people in distress reach out for help, we need to take the right steps."

The province will provide $2 million to the B.C. Association of the Chiefs of Police to help implement the digital tool program, which is expected to be in use by police departments across the province by the end of next year, Farnworth said.

Public Safety Ministry data say the HealthIM system has contributed to a decrease in apprehensions by 46 per cent, hospital wait times are down by 39 per cent, and there has been an increase in hospital admission rates of 37 per cent where it's being used.

Port Moody Chief Const. David Fleugel said the digital tool will help his officers provide better outcomes for people who come into contact with police.

"This tool represents a critical bridge between law enforcement and mental health support," he said.