December 3, 2024
Gélinas: We Cannot Ignore Police Mental Health
QUEEN’S PARK —NDP MPP France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) has reintroduced her bill to honour police officers who died by suicide due to being in the line of duty, by including them in highway memorials for fallen officers.
“We need to continue to shine a light on the mental health of the people charged with protecting us” said MPP Gélinas.
In 2021, the Ontario Provincial Police unveiled a suicide memorial, for officers whose death was related to their line of duty, at their headquarters in Orillia. The memorial aims to commemorate the work officers who died from suicide carried out for their communities, as well as remind current officers of the resources available for them to maintain their mental health. “The establishment of this memorial shows our province is starting to recognize the impact of police work on their mental health. The mental health of our first responders is an issue that is growing in gravity and needs continued work” stated Gélinas.
Gélinas’ bill Highway Memorials for Fallen Police Officers Amendment Act (In Memory of Officers Impacted by Traumatic Events), 2024 changes provincial law to include police officers who died by suicide, in memorials along the King’s Highway.