Windsor police say an initiative to put nurses in the community with officers is already having positive effects.
The pilot program, featuring Windsor Regional Hospital nurses paired with Windsor police officers as they help people struggling with substance abuse issues, has already reduced the number of emergency department visits, according to an update tweeted by police Monday.
In the first five weeks of the three-month pilot program, a total of 127 supports for service were handled.
Among those supports for service, there were 18 doses of naloxone given, 14 fentanyl test strips distributed, and 12 substance-related wounds treated. With the treatment being given on the spot by the police-nurse teams, 64 would-be visits to the emergency room were not needed, thus freeing up resources at the hospital.
During the five weeks, there were also 116 referrals to community resources.
The pilot project, which is funded by a provincial grant, was begun on May 12, with the nurse-officer teams working from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Sunday. The project will be evaluated sometime in mid-August.
The nurses are from WRH's mental health and emergency departments.
-With files from Maureen Revait