Province pledges funding for mental health and addiction support as Calgary crime wave continues

The Alberta Government is putting up more than $5 million over three years it says will help provide better mental health and addiction support to those in police custody.

It's the latest of several safety announcements this month as Alberta, and all of Canada, grapples with a series of violent incidents and crime, including social disorder on public transit.

This week alone in Calgary, there have been two shootings in public areas — one of which claimed the life of an Edmonton man — and two separate stabbings. One of each happened on Calgary Transit buses.

"We must tackle the root causes of mental health, addiction and public safety issues if we want to see real change," said Sonya Sharp, a Calgary city councillor and member of the province's public safety task force.

The money announced Friday afternoon includes $2.2 million to boost on-site health care workers at the police arrest processing unit (APU); $1.8 million for crisis workers at the 911 dispatch centre in Calgary; $1 million for the program formerly known as the DOAP team, now called the HELP team; and $775,000 to upgrade eight cells at the APU to be more "culturally appropriate."

The province has previously announced an increase in the number of sheriffs on the streets in Calgary and Edmonton and last week announced plans to hire 100 new police officers in each city over 18 months.

The money for the HELP team will allow police and social workers to connect people in need of assistance to supports, such as shelters, detox or addiction treatment.