Every day police officers are risking their health and lives to protect law-abiding citizens. The province of Manitoba is constantly searching for a new way to improve the equipment and protect the officers on duty.
On Monday, October 1st Winnipeg Police Service Deputy Chief Gord Perrier spoke to media and announced that province is investing more than 300 thousand dollars in a new tool that will help police to respond to people who is experiencing mental health issues. The tool will analyze the situation and will suggest the ways to react and what steps to take to prevent the escalation and possible injuries to the officers and a mentally ill person as well.
The tool is called HealtIM, it will be installed police cruisers and patrol cars, also on mobile devices. If HealthIM determines the situation is a low-risk, it will recommend a local mental health agency, if the system recognizes the situation as a higher risk, it could determine and suggest the approach for an officer to reduce the risk and help de-escalate the current situation, so nobody gets hurt.
The tool should be implemented and running by the end of this year.