WINNIPEG — Winnipeg's mayor is pushing the idea of creating a fourth first responder service in the city to respond to mental health crises.
Mayor Scott Gillingham has long called for the creation of a dedicated service that would respond to health calls and dispatch trained, trauma-informed professionals so police could focus on violent and property crimes and other public safety issues.
Gillingham is making a proposal to the city's executive policy committee asking that his office work with a consulting firm led by a physician who previously held leadership positions in the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and the province to develop a Winnipeg Community Crisis Response Service.
Welfare checks have been number one for city police for the past four years, with dispatchers handling more than 21,000 calls.
Gillingham says the proposal will look at how dedicated crisis responders can work with community partners, health system support services and the city's emergency services.
Some cities across the country have created their own services that dispatch psychiatrists and paramedics to calls that do not pose a safety risk.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2025.
