Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham is endorsing a proposal to create a fourth emergency response unit dedicated to mental health and addiction 911 calls.
The initiative seeks to change how the city handles crises by shifting the primary response from traditional police and ambulance services to community-based organizations. This shift aims to ensure that people in psychological distress receive care from specialized professionals rather than law enforcement.
The proposal, discussed Tuesday, suggests that a dedicated unit could divert thousands of calls [1] away from the city's existing emergency infrastructure. By utilizing community partners, the city intends to provide a more appropriate response for individuals experiencing mental health crises or addiction struggles.
While the mayor has expressed support for the new unit, there are differing views on the scale of the required changes. One report suggests that the city does not need to build an entirely new system to achieve these goals [2]. However, the current proposal focuses on establishing this specific unit as a distinct pathway for emergency dispatch.
Under the proposed model, dispatchers would identify mental health or addiction-related calls and route them to the community-led response team. This approach is designed to reduce the burden on paramedics and police officers, who are often the first responders to non-violent health crises but may lack specialized psychiatric training.
The move comes as Winnipeg seeks to address systemic gaps in its emergency response framework. By integrating community organizations into the 911 ecosystem, the city hopes to create a more sustainable and humane method of crisis intervention.
“Winnipeg is considering a new fourth emergency response unit focused on mental‑health and addiction 911 calls.”
This proposal represents a shift toward 'de-carceration' and medicalization of mental health crises. By creating a non-police response pathway, Winnipeg is attempting to reduce the risk of escalation during emergency interventions and lower the operational strain on its primary emergency services.
