THUNDER BAY — Officers from the Thunder Bay Police Service will provide security at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre's emergency department for at least another year.
The hospital has decided to extend its current contract for paid duty services with TBPS to have officers present at peak times.
The arrangement was initiated in 2022 in response to an increase in assaults against hospital staff.
Between April 2023 and February 2024, TBRHSC experienced 16 documented violent incidents in which staff were the victims.
This was down significantly from the 33 incidents reported in the same period a year earlier, but a hospital spokesperson said in a statement to Dougall Media "we believe that no one should have to face the threat of violence at work or when receiving care."
Over the coming year, TBRHSC plans to review the operational need for police officers, and will look at other options for what the spokesperson described as a more sustainable long-term approach that best serves its diverse communities and workforce.
The hospital also continues to use security guards.
In recent remarks to the Thunder Bay Police Services Board, Chief of Police Darcy Fleury remarked that having two officers posted at the hospital on a regular basis can pose a challenge for police staffing.
"Can we look at other ways to provide that service outside of regular officers?" he asked. "Hopefully we can get them back to do other duties. For example, if we're short on a watch, and we have people working at the hospital, we have to call somebody in on overtime. The hospital is being covered but we have to call people in on overtime."
