Petition calls for Quebec provincial police officers to team up with social workers on mental crisis calls
A group representing Quebec provincial police officers says members should be accompanied by social workers when responding to calls involving people who are violent and have a history of mental illness.
It's one of the demands contained in a petition from the Association des policières et policiers provinciaux du Québec (APPQ) following the death of Sgt. Maureen Breau in Louiseville, Que. last month.
The 20-year veteran of the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) was fatally stabbed while performing an arrest on March 27 after responding to a call for a man who was uttering threats.
Breau and a fellow officer were reading the alleged perpetrator his rights when the man reportedly grabbed a sword and stabbed Breau. Her colleague survived the incident with minor injuries.
Two other officers who arrived at the scene then shot and killed the man.
The incident prompted the APPQ to call for changes, including clear communication so that officers responding to a 911 call dealing with someone who is mentally ill and potentially dangerous are given that information.
APPQ president Jacques Painchaud pointed to other cities where officers are often accompanied by a social worker if the call deals with someone who may be dangerous, but he said the problem is that it's not like that across the whole province.
He said in rural areas, it's especially difficult when a social worker could be hours away.
The association is also asking for stricter protocols to be put in place for offenders who are mentally ill and potentially dangerous when it comes to their release, including better follow-up.
It says the changes are necessary to protect the public.
The association says it's seen a 35 per cent increase in the number of potentially violent calls between 2018 and 2022.
The public will be able to sign the petition after it is tabled at the national assembly later this week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
1 person killed and 23 injured in a bus crash in northern Maryland, police say
One person was killed and 23 others were injured when a bus crashed early Sunday on Interstate 95 in northern Maryland, police said.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
William Nylander stood in a solemn visitors locker room at TD Garden just before midnight. The Maple Leafs had battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss. Nylander's message was emphatic.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Video shows gaggle of geese stopping traffic on Highway 1 near Vancouver
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.