The future of community policing? Longueuil police launch new foot patrol unit to respond to social issues
Senior Longueuil police officer Patrick Cormier spent his day meeting up with citizens on the street, school administrators, and mental health professionals, to talk about the police's new RESO initiative, an acronym for Reseau d’entraide sociale et organisationnelle.
It's a foot patrol that will deal specifically with people facing social issues that are not necessarily related to law and order — think of it as a prevention team that intervenes before someone calls 911.
“We want to be a catalyst for change. We are social actors and we are here to offer many resources within our network”, said Cormier, who volunteered to be part of the 17-member squad.
They were carefully selected based on their social skills, empathy, and ability to deal with society’s most vulnerable.
Longueuil is the fifth-largest city in Quebec and comes with its share of poverty and social problems.
The police director, Fady Dagher, told La Presse that 911 calls relating to social problems are time consuming and don’t reflect an efficient use of their resources.
Members of the RESO squad, Patrick Cormier explained, are assigned a specific territory where they can build trust with the most vulnerable members of the community.
“I believe it’s part of our reachingout, we’re reaching out really far and really wide,” said Cormier
But for mental health workers, such as Marie-Christine Dion, this new initiative can go a long way into defusing situations where the presence of police can sometimes increase tension.
“If the person is not feeling well, you cannot say, ‘Come with me,’ in that tone of voice. That wouldn't work,” she said.
“So the way a police officer approaches a person and are equipped and have the information, and the how to deal with any type of mental health issue it is really, really important”
Officers who participate in the project say they were committed to it from day one.
“It appealed to me because, again, having been around the block 18 to 20 times it gives me the purpose and the opportunity to better serve my community,” added Cormier.
Even in St-Lambert, a relatively quiet suburb served by the Longueuil police, the thought of dedicated officers to deal with social issues is welcomed.
“[It] makes a huge difference, versus a turnover of people who don't necessarily have the time to get to know us, to speak to the citizens.This is a fantastic initiative and we're super pleased about it,” said newly elected-mayor Pascale Mongrain.
At the REACH school, which provides special education to children, teens and young adults with special needs, principal Marie-Heln Goyetche welcomed the initiative because many of its students already carry the stigma of mental health.
“I think the fact that this police officer will take an extra second to think, this is not a criminal or this adult is not a criminal, this adult might have special needs, or this adult might have a mental illness, it's a different approach,” she said.
The program’s cost is $7.2 million dollars, financed equally between the province and the City of Longueuil. If it delivers on its promises, it would then become permanen, with the ambitious goal of turning half of Longueuil’s police force into the program.
The experience is being closely watched by other police services, who may be tempted to try what many are calling the future of community policing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.