The Windsor Police Service is partnering with social workers from three community organizations to help victims of intimate partner violence in real-time.
As part of a three-month pilot project, officers will now call a social worker to respond to all reports of IPV.
Cases of IPV in Windsor and Amherstburg were 7.1 per cent in the first eight months of 2024.
"I think one of the problems we've been having with our response strategy to IPV and really a series of other health and human services issues is somehow thinking that a 24 or 48-hour, two-week delay to getting access to supports was somehow satisfactory, and it's just not," said Windsor Police Chief Jason Bellaire.
When social workers arrive on the scene with police officers they will offer victims psychological first aid and make connections to offer more services in the future.
"This allows us to get ahead and identify people who have not made a choice to reach out for specific services. It's coming to them and maybe reaching a whole group of people we haven't reached in the past," said Sylvie Guenther, executive director of Hiatus House.
The social workers from Windsor Regional Hospital, Hiatus House and Family Services Windsor-Essex will be on call from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Victims will also have access to virtual support services through the Hiatus House 24 hours a day.