Kwok, Siu MingDougherty, Jennifer2025-01-292025-01-292024-05-29Dougherty, J. (2024). Lessons from the Mental Health and Substance Use Crisis in Toronto and Vancouver: What Can the Calgary Police Service Learn? (Unpublished master's project). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.https://hdl.handle.net/1880/120627As calls for service grow more complicated and frequent, the Calgary Police Service finds itself on the front lines of Calgary's mental health and substance use crisis more and more. Residents of Calgary are beginning to feel less safe in their community and have less confidence in the Calgary Police Service to respond to calls of people experiencing a crisis. The number of calls has surged due to behaviour by individuals with mental health concerns and instances of overdoses in public places like C-Train stations. In 2019, the Calgary Police Service formed community partnerships to respond to the surge in calls. Often contacted for advice and effective initiatives, Toronto and Vancouver, two of Canada's largest police services, have been at the forefront of the mental health and substance use epidemic for more than twenty years. This capstone is focused on identifying the potential adjustments the Calgary Police Service could consider in terms of terminology, data collection methods, and reporting protocols for mental health and substance use programs by drawing on successful strategies observed in Toronto and Vancouver. Insights from community advocacy groups, policy and procedural inquiries and police researchers are included in the analysis. The analysis includes a proposal for establishing a new organization to streamline and enhance Calgary's approach to addressing mental health and substance use challenges based on the Vancouver experience. This capstone's recommendations have the potential to improve the support available to all Calgary residents grappling with mental health and substance use concerns.enUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.Calgary Police ServiceVancouver Police DepartmentToronto Police Servicesmental healthsubstance useIacobucciMemphis ModelVollmerReport