In November 2013, the Hamilton Police Service implemented the Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team. This is the latest expansion of the partnership between Hamilton Police Service and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and the COAST program. The program pairs a police officer with a mental health worker. The team is dispatched to 'in-progress' calls involving a reported person in crisis.
People in crisis are receiving immediate frontline response and receiving the care they need on scene. This is the first program of its kind in Canada. This program has reduced our apprehension rate from 66% to 25 % and people are getting the quality health care they need in a timelier manner.