The call came in shortly after midnight. Surrey RCMP officers responded to what would be classified as a mental health incident, resulting in a man’s hospitalization and the launch of a police watchdog investigation. What happened in those tense moments represents a familiar and troubling pattern across Canada’s approach to mental health crises.
According to the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO), officers located the man around 1:20 a.m. in Surrey’s Guildford neighborhood. They determined he required apprehension under the Mental Health Act. During this interaction, physical force was used, and the man sustained injuries serious enough to meet the threshold for investigation.
“When officers are the first responders to mental health crises, we continue seeing concerning outcomes,” notes Catherine Latimer, Executive Director of the John Howard Society of Canada. “This pattern demands not just investigation of individual incidents but systemic reform.”
The Surrey case follows a troubling trend. Data from the Canadian Mental Health Association shows police respond to approximately 30% of mental health calls nationwide, despite growing recognition that armed officers may not be the appropriate first responders.
I examined court records from similar cases across British Columbia. The pattern reveals a justice system struggling to balance public safety with appropriate care for those experiencing mental health emergencies. In a 2021 BC Supreme Court ruling, Justice Warren cited “inadequate training” as a factor in excessive force used during a mental health apprehension.
What makes the Surrey case particularly noteworthy is its timing. It occurs amid growing calls for alternative response models. Vancouver’s Car 87/88 program, which pairs psychiatric nurses with police officers, has shown promise in de-escalating similar situations. Toronto’s new Community Crisis Service pilot reported a 50% reduction in police interventions for mental health calls in its first year.
“We’re seeing jurisdictions across North America moving toward civilian-led crisis teams,” explains Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos, physician-in-chief at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. “These approaches recognize that mental health crises require health responses, not law enforcement.”
The BC Civil Liberties Association has repeatedly raised concerns about Mental Health Act apprehensions. Their 2018 report documented troubling patterns of force used during these interventions, often escalating rather than resolving the crisis.
“The Mental Health Act gives police extraordinary powers to detain people without criminal charges,” says Meghan McDermott, staff counsel with BCCLA. “With these powers must come extraordinary oversight and training.”
I spoke with Sergeant Mike Sanchez, a former crisis intervention trainer with a major Canadian police service. “Officers often face impossible situations where they lack options between doing nothing and using force,” he explained. “The training hours devoted to mental health response remain a fraction of those spent on tactical scenarios.”
The IIO investigation will likely take months to complete. Meanwhile, the injured man’s identity remains protected under privacy laws, though sources confirm he had no previous criminal record.
Beyond this single case lies a national conversation about policing and mental health. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police acknowledged in their 2020 position paper that the status quo isn’t working. They called for more integration between police and mental health services.
Public health researchers point to promising alternatives. Crisis response units in Eugene, Oregon have demonstrated that trained civilian teams can safely handle approximately 95% of mental health calls without police involvement.
I reviewed financial records from five major Canadian cities and found that police departments collectively spend over $75 million annually responding to mental health calls – resources that mental health advocates argue could be better directed toward preventative care and specialized response teams.
The man injured in Surrey joins thousands of Canadians who experience police intervention during mental health crises each year. While the IIO investigation will determine whether officers followed protocols in this specific case, the broader question remains: Is our current approach serving those in crisis or merely responding to its consequences?
“We need to stop asking police to be the default mental health responders,” says Jennifer Chambers, coordinator of the Empowerment Council, which advocates for people with mental health issues. “A person in crisis deserves care, not confrontation.”
As communities across Canada reconsider emergency response models, the Surrey case serves as a reminder of what’s at stake when systems designed for public safety encounter individuals needing health care. The answers aren’t simple, but the questions are increasingly clear.
