Leamington launches neighbourhood safety plan to address mental health, substance use

WECHU and police rollout a new emergency response plan. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell looks at what it means for residents.

Police and health officials in Essex County say a growing number of calls for service are tied to mental health and substance use, prompting the launch of a new neighbourhood safety plan in Leamington aimed at better connecting residents to appropriate supports.

The plan is part of the Substance Supports in Neighbourhoods Accessed through Police Partnerships (SSNAPP) initiative, a collaboration between the Ontario Provincial Police, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit and the Windsor-Essex Community Safety and Well-Being Plan. It is funded through a Community Safety and Policing Grant.

Officials say the plan provides guidance on how to respond to situations including opioid overdoses, mental health crises, road safety concerns and intimate partner violence.

Jenny Brandt, manager of substance abuse prevention and harm reduction with the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, said the initiative is designed to improve navigation of existing services.

“If something happens on the street, someone sees someone who’s experiencing a mental health crisis or substance use crisis, these plans are really steps on what to do, who to call in various situations,” Brandt said.

“It’s more of just understanding who to go to,” she added, noting the plan outlines both emergency and non-emergency options and includes outreach services that go beyond policing.

Brandt said concerns identified through community engagement in Leamington included road safety, intimate partner violence and human trafficking.

Inspector Chuck Lorway of the Essex County OPP said officers have seen an increase in mental health-related calls and opioid incidents in recent years.

“Over the last few years, there’s been an increasing number of Mental Health Act calls for service, as well as calls associated with opioids,” Lorway said, adding that opioid trafficking investigations have also become more frequent.

He said pairing frontline officers with clinicians and crisis workers can help de-escalate situations and connect individuals with treatment and social supports rather than relying solely on enforcement.

“People are going to be getting proper treatment, they’re going to be getting proper supports,” Lorway explained. “Policing is usually the last resort.”

Superintendent Mark Loucas, detachment commander for the Essex County OPP, said the initiative reflects a broader shift toward partnership-based responses.

“Community safety is strongest when prevention, public health, municipalities, and policing work together,” Loucas said in a release.

MPP Trevor Jones, a former OPP officer, described the initiative as “an evolution,” saying policing alone cannot address complex social challenges.

“Police officers can’t do the difficult job they have on their own. They need everyone to help,” Jones said.

Mayor Hilda MacDonald said the plan gives residents clearer direction in situations that may not require emergency intervention.

“Sometimes you don’t need to call 911,” MacDonald stated. “Now you’ve got direction and instructions as to what to do.

“911 is definitely the answer for emergency. But, here even in the case of vandalism on your property, discrimination and racism. Where do I go? What do I do? And now it tells you what to do,” MacDonald told CTV News.

“So, to me, educating our public makes them more engaged, but also contributes to answers that will then eventually lead to the neighborhoods that they’re watching out for.”

Dr. Ken Blanchette, chief executive officer of the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, said the plans aim to ensure residents have access to the tools and resources they need to support themselves and their neighbours.

“These safety plans will positively affect the health and well-being of our communities by ensuring that residents have access to the tools and resources they need to support themselves and their neighbours,” he said.

Officials say the success of the initiative will depend on community awareness and whether it reduces repeat crisis calls while improving connections to care.

More details on the Leamington safety plan, along with previously developed plans in Windsor and Essex, are available online at ssnapp.ca.