Thunder Bay police receive $1.3M from Ontario for mental health, forensics

The provincial government is spending more than $1.3 million to support the Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) in two distinct areas: mental health and addictions, and forensic technology.

Thunder Bay—Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland made the announcement at the force’s headquarters Tuesday afternoon alongside police Chief Darcy Fleury.

The bulk of the money — roughly $815,000 — has been earmarked for the Integrated Mobile Police Assessment Crisis Team (IMPACT). The program launched as a pilot in 2021 and involves a partnership between police, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and the Canadian Mental Health Association.

“They are better able to provide the appropriate level of care to those patients in need, thereby freeing up both hospital time and police officers’ time,” Holland said of the IMPACT team.

The remaining $497,000 in provincial funds will go toward LiDAR software, which will help police members recreate crime scenes, as well as a new bullet recovery program.

“We’re seeing increased gang-related activity, not just here in Thunder Bay; we’re seeing it all across Ontario, really across Canada, around the world,” said Holland.

Advancing the forensic technology available “really improves the accuracy of information that’s being collected in a more timely fashion, so that the officers can release the scene quicker and get back to work, back out onto the streets where needed,” he said.

There have been several serious incidents in the city recently, including an assault against an elderly victim over the weekend, a suspected homicide on the north end of town on Sept. 30, and a firearms-related incident on Sept. 25, which resulted in a slew of charges, including attempted murder.

“Quite often when you go to crime scenes … the evidence is sometimes very difficult to find,” Fleury said. “This will give us an opportunity to be quicker in that and hopefully help our cases, like I said, to be more efficient and really push us along in that area.” 

The TBPS is holding a media conference Wednesday morning to address recent violent incidents in town. The force is also expected to speak to the resurgence of an outlaw motorcycle gang known as Satan’s Choice.

On Wednesday evening, Fleury will be kicking off a series of community information sessions, starting with a chat at Mary JL Black Library at 6 p.m.

He is then expected to attend a Chamber of Commerce Leaders Luncheon on Nov. 12, followed by a panel discussion at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium on Nov. 13 as part of the city’s new community safety and well-being plan development.