The Editor,
As talked about in the media these days, the police in some of our communities, and south of the border, have come under scrutiny, and stories of inappropriate actions, excessive force, human rights violations, have emerged.
I think we should look closely at this issue to ensure that everyone is treated with fairness and respect, especially by those who hold power.
Yet, this letter is to congratulate the actions of the Richmond RCMP, who responded to a call at my neighbour’s house yesterday.
The call was about a person with mental health issues. The police showed up in force, three or four cars, and at first I was worried that things would get out of hand. The person in question was agitated, and not happy to see all the cars and barrage of people there, trying to help him.
It took over an hour to calm him down, and eventually he left with them, where, hopefully, he received the treatment he needed.
In all the talking I heard, not once did the police raise their voices to this man, even though he was at times belligerent and noncompliant. They were calm and caring, and in their way, without any use of force, were able to help him.
I can only imagine the patience and discretion required in this type of situation by law enforcement and mental health workers.
I commend them in this difficult job, and especially wanted to thank our local RCMP, for the care and professionalism they showed my neighbour. They succeeded, in a peaceful manner, to gain his trust, so he could get the help he needed. Well done!
Betty Berda
Richmond
