The partnership struck back in January between Windsor Police and Windsor Regional Hospital is having a significantly positive impact in the local community.
Police shared an update on their ongoing partnership to help the city’s vulnerable population on Wednesday, stating that officer transfer times at the hospital are averaging just 22 minutes - down from wait times between three and 11 hours prior to the launch of their pilot project.
Officers would regularly spend several hours at the hospital monitoring a person in crisis until health care personnel would be available to receive transfer of care of the individual.
Now, officers are back on the street much more quickly to respond to other urgent calls.
While originally scheduled for three months, police say the pilot project was extended for an additional 90 days this past April.
After assessing the clear benefits and reduction in transfer-of-care times, Windsor Police say the pilot project will once again be extended.
Additionally, police also shared that the Nurse Police Teams (NPTs), who focus the majority of their attention on individuals struggling with substance use, continue to have a tremendously positive impact.
Since the start of the NPT pilot project this past May, the NPT has seen 283 people on the street for 11 weeks working three days a week.
The hours of operation started at 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and now have shifted to 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. based on the NPT members’ assessment of community needs.
Emergency Services Director Kristen Scott says they've been able to determine that the individuals being seen by the NPT program have reduced their use of the Windsor Regional Hospital Ouellette Campus emergency department by 30 per cent since they were seen by NPT, as compared to the number of their visits before the program started.
By seeing and treating these individuals where they live, the partners say they are more effectively providing people with access and referrals to needed services and reducing the overall strain on emergency room resources.
WPS and WRH are looking to expand NPT to other times and areas of need.
Chief Jason Bellaire says the impact of this partnership has been beneficial to the community in multiple ways.
"This really is a ‘made-in-Windsor’ solution, but we have received enquiries from other police services and hospitals across the province who are looking at these strategies as potential models to examine and possibly implement in their own cities," he added.