Durham regional police intend to establish a standing committee on mental health, in the wake of the 2013 fatal police shooting of Michael MacIsaac in Ajax.The Durham police services board was provided with an update from the force at its Monday meeting on the response to non-binding jury recommendations stemming from the coroner’s inquest last year into MacIsaac’s death.The 47-year-old man was shot and killed by Const. Brian Taylor while he was naked on an Ajax street in December 2013. Police said he was advancing with a table leg. MacIsaac’s family believes he was suffering from the effects of an epileptic seizure earlier that day.His sister, Joanne MacIsaac, told the Star she has difficulty having confidence in the police service’s plan for dealing with individuals in crisis. She also wants to be on the standing committee once it’s set up.“Without outside pressure, I don’t see anything changing,” she said.Durham police spokesman Dave Selby said Deputy Chief Uday Jaswal met with MacIsaac at the Monday board meeting, though MacIsaac said she found him “absolutely noncommittal” as to whether she could be part of the committee.Selby said the committee would include representatives from the mental health community, including experts and people with lived experiences of mental health issues, and would advise police on policies and training. A senior officer will be assigned to the group.He also said a partnership was formed last year with several universities and other agencies “to look at frameworks and ways to improve enhancing education and training methods for police officers.”According to the police update presented to the board Monday in response to the inquest recommendations, the partnership includes Brock University, Laurier University, Queen’s University, UOIT, members of the Mental Health Commission of Canada and Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences.Durham police me ...
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