While the United States surgeon general recently declared loneliness an epidemic, the Moose Jaw Police Service has been dealing with that issue for years and directing people to appropriate support.
The first four months of 2023 have been busy for the organization (MJPS) as it has received 5,976 calls for service, compared to 5,362 calls last year during the same period and 4,618 queries two years ago, new data shows. This has translated into a year-over-year increase of 11.5 per cent.
During a media scrum after the recent Board of Police Commissioners’ meeting, chairwoman Mary Lee Booth pointed out that service-call increases in 2022 ranged from 19 per cent to 30 per cent by the end of the year. However, cops are now facing an 11.5-per-cent increase year-to-date on top of last year’s queries.
“So if you look at the numbers of calls for services now compared to pre-pandemic, it’s quite a bit higher. And I think that’s another indication of the social unrest and economic situation following this pandemic,” she said, noting addiction, mental illness, and housing are piled on top of those problems.
“People call the police because (they) really are the (ones) available 24/7,” Booth added.
That is true, especially since society has experienced a major period of increased stress and anxiety, which exhibit themselves through irregular behaviours and increased fear, Police Chief Rick Bourassa said.
“People are nervous, are afraid and are looking for reassurance and for some support and help. And we will continue to provide that as we move forward,” he continued.
“I can’t predict the future. I’m not sure how our societal interactions will continue, but this has been seen all over the place (through) changes in civility and how people interact with each other. And there seems to be more aggression.”
The chief noted that 25 per cent of all calls are for crimes, while 75 per cent are for non-crime matters — such as people who are depressed or need an outlet to vent their frustration.
The MJPS has dealt with lonely and depressed people for many years, including isolated individuals who need someone to talk to — which is why they call the police for non-emergencies, Bourassa said.
“And we’ve been doing that for as long as I’ve been around — connecting with (lonely) people (and) connecting them with resources that help them,” he added. “But loneliness is a big issue, it really is.”
The next Board of Police Commissioners meeting is Thursday, June 8, at 7 p.m. in the Moose Jaw Public Library’s south meeting room. The public is welcome to attend.
