The Swift Current City RCMP revealed the impact and benefits of having a Police and Crisis Team (PACT) in their jurisdiction.

Police and Crisis Team is a new body attached not only to the police but also to the Saskatchewan Health Authority. The goal of PACT members is to bridge the divide between law enforcement and medical care. 

A PACT worker works alongside the police, who are most people's first call during a mental health crisis, and step in with information like a history of mental health issues, drug use, and other pertinent info police and RCMP may not have ready access to. This allows the PACT worker to step in and use their special skill set and medical knowledge to help de-escalate what could otherwise evolve into a very volatile situation. 

Karla Rempel is the PACT worker here in Swift Current. She works closely with the City RCMP to help bridge the gap between health care and law enforcement.  

Swift Current RCMP’s Staff Sgt. Evan Gordon shared a report on how busy Rempel's first half-year went in town since joining in late August.

“She's had 65 shifts with us, in those 65 shifts she's had 93 calls where she's gone out with our members and 121 follow-ups with phone calls and face to face in the office,” listed Sgt. Gordon. “We're definitely putting her to work. She's averaging about 1.5 calls per shift and 1.8 follow-ups per shift, so she's really making a lot of contact every shift that she's working.” 

Another benefit Rempel provides is a community role for people like nursing students who come to the RCMP looking for information on how they handle mental health issues in the community. Rempel is able to readily provide this information in a more informed position than the average officer.  

Sgt. Gordon considers mental health and drug addiction are sometimes interconnected issues. Having Rempel to help with these issues has proven to be a huge gain for the Swift Current City RCMP.