Portage hospital latest to get safety officers

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This article was published 09/12/2024 (302 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Portage la Prairie hospital is the latest health facility to adopt a police presence in the face of threatening and violent incidents.

Peace officers from Long Plain First Nation will patrol the hospital, nearby properties, and parking lots on Thursday to Saturday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., as part of a three-month pilot project.

They will screen patients for weapons and contraband items. Patients who are being held under the Mental Health Act for medical and psychiatric assessment will be placed in their custody by RCMP.

Safety officers were first assigned to Health Sciences Centre in April in response to concerns voiced by front-line workers during sessions with the health minister.

Similar initiatives have been set up at the St. Boniface and Victoria hospitals in Winnipeg, and at the Brandon Regional Health Centre and Selkirk Mental Health Centre.

“During the listening tour, we heard directly from the front-line workers about the challenges they are facing in terms of safety and security,” Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said in a news release Monday. “We are responding to those concerns by increasing safety officer presence in health-care facilities throughout the province.”

Long Plain Chief David Meeches said he was proud of the expansion to the community’s First Nation safety officer program.

“The safety and security of Long Plain First Nation members and businesses has always been of paramount importance to leadership,” he said.

Currently, there are 105 peace officers at hospitals across the province.

— Staff