Calls for suicides in Stratford, including attempted suicides, nearly doubled in 2023 compared to 2022.
Stratford Police Service responded to 42 calls for suicide last year, compared to 24 calls in 2022.
That is not a high number, relative to other cities in the nation, though Stratford police chief Greg Skinner still drew attention to how worrying that is at the Police Services Board meeting on Wednesday.
“There's some pretty significant increases and trends that we're seeing,” Skinner said. “Things that we need to keep our eye on and have strategies in place to support the community.”
In Stratford there were 786 mental health calls last year. In 2022 there were slightly less, numbering 605.
St. Marys and Perth South, regions that Stratford police also respond to, didn’t have the same alarming rise.
In St. Marys there were 74 mental health related calls and two suicide calls. In 2022 there were 54 mental health calls and four suicide calls.
In Perth South there were 20 mental health related calls and four suicide calls. In 2022 there were 19 mental health calls and the same number of suicide calls.
At the same time, Skinner said that the jump in statistics may not be an only bad-news story.
The statistics presented at the police services board meeting represent the calls made to police. It could be that the jump in numbers may reflect a rise in people reaching out to emergency services, rather than a jump in the crises Stratford citizens are having.
“My hope is that there's an increased trust of police,” Skinner said. “That there will be the proper investigation done, proper supports in place, the proper referrals in place for people that are needing help.”
In 2023 there were a combined 24,930 calls for service among the three regions. Stratford had the vast majority of calls, with 20,302.
In 2022 there were slightly less: 22,918.
In 2023 there were 5,341 charges laid in the three regions. Again, Stratford led the charges with 3,818 charges alone.
In 2022 there was a similar amount: 5,269.
Police services board meetings occur every month. Unless otherwise stated, they take place at Stratford City Hall at 4:30 p.m.
