Sarnia plans to redirect $10M from police funds to expand paramedic-led mental health crisis response.

Former Sarnia councillor Nathan Colquhoun proposes redirecting $10 million over five years from the city’s police budget to expand paramedic-led crisis response for non-violent 911 calls involving mental health, addiction, or social needs. The plan aims to reduce police workload, align with provincial recommendations, and integrate existing programs like MHEART and CHIC under a paramedic-led model. It comes amid rising police spending, including a proposed 6.5% budget increase and a $91-million request for a new station. While police chief Derek Davis supports exploring alternatives, he cautions that policing involves unpredictable, high-risk situations that cannot be fully replaced by non-police responders.