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The City of Belleville is moving forward with a community discussion about policing and mental health.
The request for a conversation on the topic was presented by Councillor Chris Malette last summer. The community forum is designed to look at policing in the city, and what tools and agencies are in place that can help both the police and the broader community effectively assist those struggling with mental health and addiction.
The public forum was originally supposed to happen in the fall, but was postponed due to the pandemic and ongoing restrictions.
The City says in a statement this morning that they’ll move forward with an online forum, just like everything else is these days.
The public forum will take place on March 9th from 7 to 9 pm. The first part will be a panel discussion between council and various police agencies including Belleville, Kingston, and Lennox and Addington OPP.
The second part will be an open forum for community members to speak about their own experiences.
Information about registration for the public discussion will be coming out soon on the City of Belleville’s website and social media channels.
“Policing and mental health is an important and complex issue that recent events around the world have brought much attention to. We should have a community conversation here in Belleville as well and I am grateful that Councillor Malette brought forward the motion to initiate this forum. Opening this discussion up to the community and those involved in both policing and mental health services will demonstrate what we are doing well and what we can continue to improve upon,” said Mayor Mitch Panciuk.
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