Nurse Police Team pilot program extended for another six months
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Windsor Police Service News Update August 21, 2023 |
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PUBLIC NEWS UPDATE
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Nurse Police Team pilot program extended for another six months
The Windsor Police Service and Windsor Regional Hospital are pleased to announce the six-month extension of the Nurse Police Team (NPT) pilot program aimed at supporting individuals struggling with substance use disorders and related challenges.
The program, launched in May 2023, pairs nursing professionals with frontline police officers to provide proactive, holistic, and non-judgmental care to individuals in need and connect them with the appropriate support services. The initiative aims to introduce more meaningful treatment and support options while steering people away from the criminal justice system and hospital emergency departments.
Over the first 14 weeks of the pilot program, the nurse-police teams handled 374 calls for service, referred 253 people to the appropriate community resources, and treated 36 substance-related wounds. The proactive care enabled some 147 patients to be diverted from our already overcrowded hospital emergency rooms.
“We are excited to continue this important partnership with the Windsor Regional Hospital. The extension of the NPT program will enable us to provide desperately needed help to some of our city’s most vulnerable people and improve the overall safety and wellbeing of everyone in our community,” said Jason Crowley, Acting Deputy Chief of Operations, Windsor Police Service.
The Windsor Police Service and Windsor Regional Hospital continue to work closely with local and provincial partners to solicit long-term funding for this project.
“This partnership highlights the need to think differently about the higher risk populations we serve,” said David Musyj, President and CEO, Windsor Regional Hospital. “As a system, we need to modify our hours of operation and look to meeting with these populations where they are, instead of requiring them to attend a fixed address.”
The NPT program operates on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between 1 p.m. and 1 a.m.
For more information, please contact:
Gary Francoeur
Director, Corporate Communications
Windsor Police Service
media@windsorpolice.ca
Steve Erwin
Director, Public Affairs & Communications
Windsor Regional Hospital
Steve.Erwin@wrh.on.ca
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