Windsor police have plans to keep local nurses riding with them on weekends.
Police and Windsor Regional Hospital have announced that the pilot program has been extended for at least six more months. The Nurse Police Team (NPT) initiative allows nurses from the hospital to ride along with the police to provide on-the-spot care to those suffering from addiction and other issues.
The program first got off the ground in May, intending to relieve pressure on local emergency departments and the criminal justice system.
The NPTs handled 374 calls for service in the first 14 weeks. 253 people were referred to the appropriate community resources, and 36 were treated for substance-related wounds. The proactive care enabled some 147 patients to be diverted from hospital emergency departments.
"The extension of the NPT program will enable us to provide desperately needed help to some of our city’s most vulnerable people and improve the overall safety and well-being of everyone in our community," said Acting Deputy Chief of Operations Jason Crowley.
The hospital and police service had a second pilot project launched in January. That one places a police officer in the emergency room and allows officers on the street to transfer care of people they bring in. Since the launch of that program, officer transfer times at Windsor Regional Hospital have dropped dramatically.
The NPT program operates Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m.
-with files from Maureen Revait
