RCMP Occurrence Report - 2020

To promote trust, transparency, and accountability for the Canadian public, the RCMP is committed to open, proactive and routine disclosure of police information.

This report includes the number of occurrences, by province and territory, entered into the RCMP's Records Management Systems (RMS) for the past 10 years, except British Columbia (BC) where available data goes back two years.

An occurrence can be any type of police-related event or activity that is entered into police records management systems. It could be generated from a call for service or something that is self-generated by a police officer, like stopping a driver they believe is impaired.

This report also includes mental health and well-being check occurrences. It is important to note that mental health legislation is established by provinces and territories. Laws, regulations, procedures and reporting requirements vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For this reason, the availability of mental health and well-being check occurrence data varies.

Overall count of RCMP occurrences - 2020

Count of RCMP well-being check occurrences - 2020

Count of RCMP Mental Health Act occurrences - 2020

Responding to people in crisis

When it comes to mental health occurrences, this data does not represent all RCMP interactions with individuals suffering from mental illness. For example, some occurrences may be filed as an assault, a weapons complaint, a suspicious occurrence, or noise complaint as a result of someone shouting. The language used by complainants, witnesses, family members, or the subject of the complaint varies. Therefore, for these reasons, not all incidences of mental health-related calls for service may be captured in police RMS as mental health-related.

Well-being checks include various checks not related to mental health. Well-being checks may include requests to physically confirm the well-being of a loved one who is not responding or unreachable.

The RCMP, like other police agencies, is very supportive of a collaborative approach for people in crisis, and for individuals experiencing symptoms of distress or addiction. Some communities across Canada have mobile mental health support and outreach services, typically in the form of a psychiatric nurse. In areas where a joint mental health response is available, and when situational factors permit, national RCMP policy guidance states that RCMP officers should consult with mental health personnel first. The establishment of such joint mental health responses is contingent on resources and support from provincial and municipal health services. Mobile mental health resources are not available in all jurisdictions, leaving RCMP members to deal with these calls unsupported in the vast majority of cases.

All occurrences, whether known to be mental health-related or not, are responded to with the same training and caution. There is no such thing as a "routine call."

In many parts of Canada, police officers are often the first responders on scene when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis. Police have a critical role to play when responding and interacting with a person with a mental illness or a person in crisis.

Police officers are not medical professionals and cannot diagnose individuals. However, it is important for the police to have an understanding of mental illnesses, including the signs and symptoms of distress, in order to conduct effective risk assessments and de-escalate a mental health crisis, whenever it is tactically feasible.

Addressing the mental health needs of individuals and communities requires empathy, patience, and awareness on the part of first responders. Through crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques, many mental health crises can be managed with decreased risk to the public and police officers.

Crisis Intervention and De-escalation Training

Ensuring RCMP officers are properly trained to serve all people with dignity and respect is a priority. Training and development of all of our officers start with the Cadet Training Program (CTP) at the RCMP Academy, Depot Division, and continues throughout their RCMP career on an ongoing basis.

The RCMP has strengthened crisis intervention and de-escalation training for all its officers. Since 2016 an online training course on crisis intervention and de-escalation has been mandatory for all RCMP officers. The course takes approximately three hours and is available through the RCMP's E-learning portal. The course includes a module on some of the major mental illnesses and their observable behaviours, which can assist police officers in tailoring their approach to the person in crisis. This mandatory training helps police officers determine when and how to use crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques and complements what cadets learn at Depot as well as other training offered in RCMP divisions and detachments.

Since April 2021, crisis intervention and de-escalation training is now incorporated into annual IMIM re-certification training. Scenarios involving crisis intervention and de-escalation training are also in place as a part of regular, in-person, operational skills maintenance training.

An online Suicide Prevention and Awareness course is available to all employees on the RCMP Intranet. It teaches the factors associated with suicide, crisis intervention techniques, and the importance of seeking help, or supporting others to do so, when they are living with mental health issues that are having a negative impact on their well-being.

In addition, the two-day Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training is mandatory for employees who are in positions where they are likely to encounter individuals living with serious mental stress.

Police intervention training and procedures

The RCMP recognizes that even in situations where crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques can be used, police intervention may still be required.

The Incident Management Intervention Model (IMIM) is the framework used by RCMP officers to assess and manage risk in all encounters with the public — whether it's verbal de-escalation, or the use of an intervention option. You can learn more about IMIM training and read our 2020 Police Intervention Options Report.

Understanding more about RCMP Records Management Systems and data limitations

The RCMP uses three RMS to capture and track occurrences. The PROS is used in all RCMP jurisdictions except British Columbia and the Halifax Regional Municipality. In British Columbia, the RCMP uses PRIME, Halifax District RCMP is integrated with Halifax Regional Police and uses Versadex, while remaining RCMP jurisdictions use PROS.

PROS, PRIME, and Versadex each have a unique methodology for counting occurrences; comparisons between RMS are not recommended.

Date modified:

2022-10-11