Back in November, the local Police Service announced the official start to PACT (Police and Crisis Team). 

Since then, officers have noticed a large need for the program, along with the many benefits that it has, not only for the police department but the public as well. 

PACT is made up of two parts, one being an officer who is designated to the division, the other, a mental health professional from the Saskatchewan Health Authority. 

Sgt. Kevin Pilsworth, said the need for PACT and the work they do is evident as many calls come in for the team.

"It's quite honestly an almost a daily occurrence for our PACT team, sometimes it may be one or two calls [a day]," explained Sgt. Pilsworth. "Of course, we are transitioning so we are not fully 24/7 by any stretch. It's a new program and we are still putting the resources fully into place."

The unique feature of this department is the extensive ground the two individuals can cover as the pair have been trained to serve, protect, and care for an individual going through a crisis.

"When you have someone that has an extensive background with mental health issues, it certainly makes it easier to identify what the underlying issues are. It gives it an opportunity to tailor the best approach in a much more efficient and effective manner, that person on the receiving end is getting the best service possible," said Sgt. Pilsworth. "We're proud of the training that we provide them, but it's so much better of a delivery system when you have mental health professionals bringing their education, bringing their experience, and bringing their expertise to a situation, tying that all together with what a police officer is able to bring there's no question that the person who is on the side of crisis and needs the help, they're getting a much better service with that collaborative approach."

He noted that although they haven't established PACT around the clock just yet, he does see the hours the team is available growing in the near future as we're already seeing PACT popping up more and more in the daily police reports.