Mental health in policing: Let’s talk about the reality

May was Mental Health Awareness Month — a time when organizations across sectors highlighted resources, challenged stigma and encouraged important conversations. These campaigns are important. But as the month ends, we wanted to share what kept us busiest: responding to mental health calls and supporting people in crisis — the very work this awareness is meant to highlight.

Each week this May, we’ve been sharing our calls for service. If you’ve been following along, a clear pattern has emerged: our work is increasingly focused on responding to people in crisis, not crime.

In May alone, Smithers RCMP responded to 395 calls for service. Of those:

The data reflects what we see on the ground: people are turning to police not just for safety, but for help navigating distress, instability and unmet basic needs. What the numbers don’t show is the time this takes — the check-ins, the follow-up calls, and the ongoing efforts to help someone connect with the right supports so they don’t end up needing an emergency response, again.

We chose to share this at the end of Mental Health Awareness Month because we wanted our community to see what that month looked like for us: It meant answering calls for wellness checks, responding to people in crisis and supporting those with no one else to call.

Awareness is important — but this is the reality we’re navigating every day. And it’s why we believe policing has a role to play in a more coordinated response to mental health calls for service. We’re committed to doing our part — and remain dedicated to working alongside partner agencies to build the kind of support systems rural communities need.