Police-Encounters-With-People-In-Crisis

71. The MCIT program has expanded several times since 2000, as explained in
Chapter 11, and now provides coverage to all police divisions in conjunction with six
partner hospitals.
72. Mental Health Sub-Committee: In September 2009, the Toronto Police Services
Board approved the establishment of a Mental Health Sub-Committee to examine issues
related to mental health. The Sub-Committee’s mandate is to facilitate ongoing
communication with the community and other stakeholders, to enable the Board to deal
with mental health issues in an informed, systematic, and effective manner. 7
73. The Mental Health Sub-Committee is composed of members of the Board,
members of the TPS, and members of the community. The Sub-Committee is currently
co-chaired by Board Chair Alok Mukherjee and Ms. Pat Capponi, a community member
with lived experience of mental illness.
74. The terms of reference of the Mental Health Sub-Committee provide for it to:
consider, among other things, enhancements to existing TPS mental health initiatives;
facilitate information sharing on mental health issues; facilitate enhanced dialogue
between the Board, the TPS and members of the mental health community; and advise
the Board on current and proposed mental health initiatives involving the TPS and the
community.
75. To date, the work of the Sub-Committee has focused in particular on
improvements to police training at the Toronto Police College, and limiting the use of
conducted energy weapons such as Tasers. These two topics are addressed in more
detail in Chapter 7 (Training) and Chapter 12 (Equipment).
76. Service priority dealing with mental illness: In November 2012, to underscore the
importance of safe and effective police interactions with people experiencing mental
illness, the Toronto Police Services Board approved a new priority, entitled “Focusing on
Police Interactions with Individuals Experiencing Mental Illness” in the TPS business
plan. It was recommended that the Board’s Mental Health Sub-Committee meet with
the TPS to provide input in developing the goals, performance objectives, and indicators
arising from this priority. As a result, the 2013 Service Priorities and Business Plan,
approved by the Board in December 2012, includes the new priority. 8
D. Deaths of people in crisis during encounters with the TPS
77. It is helpful in addressing the issues in this Review to have an understanding of
the frequency with which people in crisis are killed during encounters with the Toronto
Police Service. I therefore requested that the TPS provide me with data on this point,
which I set out below.
7
See Toronto Police Service Board, Min. No. P265/09.
8
Toronto Police Service, Toronto Police Service: 2013 Business Plan (Toronto, ON: Toronto Police Service, 2013), online: Toronto
Police Service .
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