Jamie Livingston

It's extremely rare

Group calls for fatality inquiry in case of Halifax man who died during arrest | CBC News The East Coast Prison Justice Society says fatality inquiries should be mandatory in deaths involving police.

This tragedy is the result of massive systemic failures within our healthcare and policing systems. A comprehensive public inquiry is needed along with meaningful actions that reduce the serious risks faced by people in crisis.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Halifax launches new civilian mental health crisis team | CBC News Halifax has launched a new civilian team to help people in distress in the Dartmouth area as an alternative to calling police. The pilot project called CARE — Crisis Assistance and Response — began Mo...

YAY!

Now, that task will be to advocate for an appropriate level of funding to ensure the program can grow, be responsive to people’s needs, reduce reliance on ERs, and divert a significant volume of calls away from police.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Job Postings for Community Crisis Responders (full-time and casual) with the POSSE - CIAO Program ... the first non-police mobile crisis service in Nova Scotia 🙌

mnfc.applytojobs.ca/posse/41508

mnfc.applytojobs.ca/posse/41509

The growing number of communities that are creating civilian (non-police) crisis response programs is a direct product of the defund the police movement. Although police budgets are increasing everywhere, this monumental shift in service delivery is still a major win for the community. ✨️

The government's puntitive drug policies actively kill an average of 21 Canadians a day by fueling an increasingly unpredictable and poisoned drug supply, but I digress

Community Crisis Responder job posting

Job postings for community crisis responder positions in Nova Scotia's first civilian crisis response service are up.

Awesome job to the amazing crew at POSSE 👏

mnfc.applytojobs.ca/posse/37466

A screenshot of a March 27, 2025 letter from the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs to Premier Tim Houston, saying they oppose fracking, and singed by all 13 Chiefs.

An unequivocal, powerful message to N.S. Premier Tim Houston from the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs, who inform him they remain opposed to fracking and “will not see it happen on our unceded and traditional territory.” Houston, you have a big problem with your plans to frack this province.

Civilian mobile crisis services divert calls away from police. When implemented, police will no longer respond to a proportion of calls to which they were previously dispatched. As such, there should be a commensurate transfer of funding from the police to civilian teams. It's really that simple.

Signez la pétition Call for Immediate Moratorium on Police Deployment to Wellness Checks in Nova Scotia

If you haven’t yet, please take a moment to sign the ECPJS petition for an immediate moratorium on Police response to Mental health calls. 5/11

-- calling for an end to police-led wellness checks after the tragic loss of two community members during HRP “wellness check” interventions where tasers were deployed.

Here are the results of the vote for the Community Crisis Diversion Pilot.

3/11

Here’s a recap on the Mar. 19 HRM council meeting regarding the Budget Adjustment List (BAL) 🧵

(Council will continue discussions on the BAL Friday, Mar 21)
1/11

Just out in #HarmReductionJournal: another article from our realist review of international evidence on overdose prevention centres (AKA drug consumption rooms, supervised injecting facilities), showing how and for whom they work #harmreduction #OPCPrep 1/7 links.springernature.com/f/a/hWOfNJIE...

Whether you need to talk or are looking for resources to address substance use, we’re here to listen and connect you with resources. No judgement. Just support.

Call or text 2-1-1
Visit ns.211.ca/mental-health

Today, Halifax Regional Council voted to fund a 24/7 Community Crisis Diversion Pilot Service that will divert crisis calls away from police, priorizing the needs & safety of people in crisis.

This is a big step for our community that has taken several years of advocacy at multiple levels. Yay!

Stop the Tank Email Template Email Template for Stopping the Purchase of Another Armoured Vehicle: WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO CUSTOMIZE THIS EMAIL TEMPLATE BEYOND INSERTING YOUR NAME AND DISTRICT AND TO PROVIDE YOUR OWN UNIQUE EMAIL S...

CALL TO ACTION: FUND COMMUNITIES, NOT TANKS!

On February 12th, both the proposed Armored (Tank) and the $101,255,70 (up $3,244,300 (3.3%)) HRP budget request go to HRM Council.

Please use the linked EMAIL TEMPLATE and tell your Councilor to vote ‘NO’ to tank purchases or police budget increases.

Yes, I know her. Thanks

I've been advocating on this for 5 years along with an army of others. Changes are coming. Too slowly, though.

Surely, with your experience, you've seen people in crisis supported safely without police presence. I saw this daily when working in the mental health system, including forensic mental health contexts. NGO workers who support folks with mental health needs do crisis support routinely without police

Safety for who? Most crisis calls pose no risk to responders. Sending police can be (and has been) unsafe for people in crisis. Over 200 programs in communities around North America, including Toronto and Ottawa, now send civilians to crisis calls...safety and effectively. Check out the link I sent

Only 11% wanted a co-response (eg, MMHCT). No one preferred a police-only response. Our province doesn't currently have non-police response options for crisis calls. That's a big problem

I recognize that a small proportion of mental health calls may need police presence. Their attendance to calls regardless of the need is quite harmful and can escalate situations resulting in death. A recent survey of people with lived experience in NS found 89% want a non-police response to crises.

Who said "always"?

I'm glad that it's worked for you. That's not the experience for many.

First, yes, it is a problem for many people who won't call for help when the police are involved. Second, there's no reason for police to be involved in the majority of crisis calls. Third, police are still attending the majority of mental health calls alone on HRM. See: www.justmentalhealth.ca

With police. That's the problem

In Canada, equality rights are guaranteed under the Charter.

Sending police to mental health emergencies while sending healthcare providers to physical health emergencies violates these rights.

Such a system disproportionately, arbitrarily, & predictably harms people with mental health needs.

© CBC/Radio-Canada 2025. All rights reserved.

As I said earlier this week, when we send police to people who are vulnerable & in mental heath crisis, we're making that person more vulnerable to experiencing a range of harms including death.

Tragically, 2 people died in Halifax this week during police interactions.

www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

would there even be an economy without the exploitation of drug users' suffering

The New Brunswick Women's Council calls for the NB government to halt the development of the so-called Compassionate Intervention Act (medicalized incarceration and forced abstinence of drug users).

www.nbwomenscouncil.ca/content/dam/...