Posted: May 06, 2021 7:12 PM CT | Last Updated: May 7
Paramedics will now be at the Prince Albert police detention centre seven days a week between 7:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. to offer health-care intervention for addicts particularly to those needing support to stabilize and detoxify.(Parkland Ambulance Care)
Those with addictions in the custody of Prince Albert police now have access to onsite paramedic attention.
Police and Parkland Ambulance Care have teamed up with the Saskatchewan Health Authority for a new one-year pilot project. Paramedics will be at the detention centre seven days a week between 7:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. to offer health-care intervention for addicts particularly to those who need support to stabilize and detoxify.
PRINCE ALBERT A partnership between Prince Albert police, Parkland Ambulance and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is offering addictions treatment to people incarcerated in police cells. A senior police officer and paramedic will oversee the cells between 7:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. daily. According to an SHA news release, this will allow patients to be assessed, treated and taken to hospital in a timely manner, if needed. Police Chief Jon Bergen said he hopes the project will help to lower the city’s overall crime rate. People that do suffer from different addictions will be desperate to fuel their addiction, and that could lead to theft and other things, so we do tie it to crime. We observe that. We know that to be real,” he said.