The Challenges of Policing Canada’s North

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

An accumulation of contemporary research has investigated police interactions with persons with mental illness, as well as collaborative efforts with health professionals that may be required in these contexts. Notwithstanding, much research neglects to address these interactions in the framework of different developed environments; specifically in rural or remote Northern communities. These geographic regions face an exotic array of challenges, particularly with regard to mental health and police services. Consequently, communities highly reliant on medical and mental health services, are left without basic resources necessary to address these prevalent issues. Using past literature and RCMP data pertaining to mental health related calls, this research will examine the challenges police face in rural Northern regions of British Columbia, Canada. Data will be obtained from Simon Fraser University’s Institute for Canadian Urban Research Studies.
Consideration will be given to the large population of Aboriginal persons living in Northern BC, current policing practices of the RCMP, the role of Band police forces, and collaboration with community health services. Furthermore, the therapeutic and practical value of a procedural justice approach in the context of these communities, for the purposes of improving the quality and outcome of police interactions in these settings will be discussed.

Author

• Katherine Brine, Simon Fraser University