Intervention in Louiseville: the issue of mental health once again highlighted
A police perimeter was still in place Tuesday morning at the intersection of Saint-Laurent Avenue and Saint-Aimé Street, in Louiseville.
Although all the circumstances of the tragedy Monday evening in Louiseville are not yet known, voices are rising to demand more help for people struggling with mental health problems.
The mayor of Louiseville, Yvon Deshaies, is saddened and shaken by the events of Monday evening.
He claimed to have spoken to the owner of the building, who told him that the individual was a disturbing tenant. For example, this man was playing loud music and some of his neighbors were afraid of him. He had been living in Louiseville for barely four months, according to the mayor.
According to the Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI), officers were called to the individual's home due to threats. During the police action Sergeant Maureen Breau was killed. The suspect was later shot dead by police.
The mayor of Louiseville, Yvon Deshaies, was at the scene of the tragedy early Tuesday, on avenue Saint-Laurent.
Mayor Deshaies clarified that the neighborhood where the tragedy took place is home to several less fortunate people. People are left to fend for themselves, says the mayor, who denounces the lack of services for citizens who need help, especially with mental health problems.
The director of the Sûreté du Québec, Patrice Cardinal, admits that mental health problems are increasingly present issues.
This is confirmed by the public relations sergeant for the Trois-Rivières police, Luc Mongrain. As elsewhere in the province, he notes that since 2014, there has been an upsurge in interventions related to mental health problems. The police officer explains that several measures have been put in place over the years.
In 2019, the hiring of a social worker facilitated the work of the police, but the number of 'calls him, does not diminish finds the sergeant.
“Over the years, we have seen that, on a daily basis, patrollers must respond to calls with mental health connotations. It is a new reality. We must be better equipped to better intervene in these cases”
— Luc Mongrain, public relations sergeant for the Trois-Rivières police
Interviewed at On this subject, several politicians confirm that mental health issues in public safety are of concern.
The Minister of Public Security of Quebec, François Bonnardel, called the drama a tragedy and that losing a police officer in service had not happened since 2016. Without wishing to make assumptions for this case, the minister concedes that the work of the police has changed a lot in 20 years and that the number of calls to 911 in connection with interventions relating to mental health problems is significant. He says he is doing everything in his power to meet the needs of the population, but concedes that the situation is not simple.
“We must do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn't happen again. ”
— Simon Allaire, MP for Maskinongé
The CAQ MP for Maskinongé, Simon Allaire, hopes that this event will help find solutions to prevent this kind of tragedy.
Based on information from Marilyn Marceau and Josée Bourassa as well as interviews conducted on the show Toujours le matin
