Hard statistics aren’t available on whether Belleville police officers are dealing with more calls for service involving homeless people, more formally known as those with “no fixed address.”
However, anecdotally, those close to policing acknowledge that calls involving the homeless have been on the rise recently.
Chief of Police Mike Callaghan tells Quinte News that one priority should be keeping repeat dangerous offenders in custody and not released on bail.
Also Callaghan says the province needs to fund and build humane mental health and addictions facilities to care for those who are unable to benefit from the services already offered in the community.
“If it’s a situation where that person is chronically reoffending we need to do something about it. We just can’t send people out on the street to die. It’s just not ok!”
The Chief is also pushing for a supervised detox centre in the area to help those suffering from addictions.
