Mobile mental health unit stat presentation 'not accurate,' says Charlottetown police chief

Charlottetown police chief Brad MacConnell is expressing concern about how the relationship between police and P.E.I.'s Mobile Mental Health Response Unit was portrayed to a legislative committee earlier this month.

MacConnell was reacting to comments made at two legislative committees this month that suggested Charlottetown police were not calling the unit as often as it should.

The committeesheard city policedid not call theunit last January during a mental health crisis that ended when Tyler Knockwooddied by suicide.

Public health officials also said Charlottetown police received about 2,000 mental health calls last year, but only a handful were referred to mobile mental health.

"I was a little disappointed to hear the portrayal of the stats," MacConnell told CBC News on Tuesday. "It's not accurate."

He said Charlottetown police received 1,390 mental health calls last year.

Out of those calls, 696 of came through 911, which would have been flagged to the mobile mental health unit as well, the police chief said. Of the remaining 694 that came through their non-emergency number, 529 came from the same three individuals, he added.

Those three people have all been referred to the mobile mental health unit numerous times, MacConnell said, and police can't force them to engage with it.

"It's a voluntary service," he said. "People have to want to partake in it."

Supporting mobile mental health units

MacConnell also said these committee meetings were the first time he had heard any concerns about police communication with the mobile mental health units despite meetings withMedavie which operates the units and the province not long before those committee meetings.

"I was very disappointed to hear that testimony. Again, it was the first we heard of those communication issues," he said.

"It was disappointing that we were not made aware of that."

MacConnell said he is supportive of the work being done by mobile mental health units.

"We're not going to police our way out of these complicated issues," he said.

"Police are probably not the best suited to be the first contact. We've acknowledged those very important points. But the reality is that most times we are the first point of contact."

There is clearly room for improvement in how the system is working, he said.