A Windsor Police Service (WPS) program that stations dedicated officers at the Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) Ouellette Campus is working to get officers back on the street quicker.
The program was launched Jan. 2023, in partnership with WRH, with the aim of reducing the time officers spent waiting in the emergency department with people in crisis who have been apprehended.
WPS Inspector Jen Crosby says prior to the launch of the program, officers averaged between three and 11 hours in the emergency department per patient transfer, impacting police resources and their ability to respond to 911 calls.
"With Windsor Regional Hospital, we came together at the table and had a very frank conversation about what we were doing and what we could do better. You see we were three to 11 hours, and we're averaging now before officers get back out onto the street about an 18 minute transfer of care time."
She says the police service does not take apprehensions lightly and this program ensures patients receive the care they need faster.
"It's impactful for the person in crisis. They're getting prioritized within the hospital setting. They're no longer having to stand with a police officer for three to 11 hours, on average."
This initiative runs alongside the Nurse Police Team and Crisis Response Team programs, which provide proactive care and divert vulnerable individuals away from hospital emergency departments.
Crosby says this initiative led to conversations which created the Nurse Police Team and the rebranding of the Crisis Response Team.
She says they are consistently meeting with their partners to see what can be improved.
"We're not afraid to say you know this piece isn't working, let's change, let's move, let's pivot, let's try something different because what we know is what we were doing wasn't working."
Since launching earlier this year, the Crisis Response Team (CRT) had diverted roughly 87 per cent of the clients away from hospitals in Windsor.