A community forum on Policing and Mental Health will be held in Belleville next month.
The event, which has been called for by Councillor Chris Malette will be held virtually on March 9 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Malette introduced the idea of the forum in 2020 to look at ways in which the police are funded, and how they are called upon to deal with matters related to mental health and addictions issues.
It will include in the discussion members of council, police, and various community agencies whose specialties include mental health and addictions.
The two-hour online forum will be held in two parts – the first hour will be a panel discussion by officials – the second hour will include community members.
City of Belleville release notes the following:
“The forum was to have taken place in the fall of 2020,” said Councillor Chris Malette. “But as COVID-19 restrictions became clearer and the long-term effects of the virus and its limitations on public gatherings became entrenched, it is clear there is no time in the foreseeable future where we may hold a live town hall-style meeting.”
Instead, the two-hour online forum will be held in two parts. The first will involve a panel discussion between members of City Council and officials from various police agencies including Kingston Police, Lennox & Addington OPP and Belleville Police, as well as mental health and addictions officials from Belleville. The second portion of the meeting will involve an open forum for community members to speak about their own experiences in mental health and addictions scenarios and police, and will open up for suggestions or opinions from the public on how best to establish mental health supports in policing in the community.
“Policing and mental health is an important and complex issue that recent events around the world have brought much attention to,” said Mayor Mitch Panciuk. “We should have a community conversation here in Belleville as well and I am grateful that Councillor Malette brought forward the motion to initiate this forum. Opening this discussion up to the community and those involved in both policing and mental health services will demonstrate what we are doing well and what we can continue to improve upon.”
Information on how to register for the public discussion portion of the forum will be made available in coming days as the technical details are set in place. Residents are encouraged to watch the city’s social media channels and website for more.
