FILE PHOTO

(JOHN MCDONALD / iNFOnews.ca)

Cops are feeling the stress as routine calls get more dangerous, and the death of a Burnaby RCMP officer makes it all the more clear to B.C. law enforcement.

As B.C. cities push for more healthcare-forward responses to mental health crises, Const. Michael Della-Paolera of Kelowna RCMP said it's important for police to continue their presence.

"You never know when it's going to go sideways," he said.

Const. Shaelyn Yang of Burnaby RCMP was killed while responding to an encampment. Early reporting suggested she was serving a warrant to a homeless man, but police have said she was only there to move the man from the place he decided to camp.

The man who is alleged to have stabbed her, 37-year-old Jongwon Ham, has since been charged with first degree murder.

Yang was not only a police officer, but she worked with a team that specialized in working with people who have mental illness or are homeless.

On Oct. 18, she was the fifth Canadian police officer killed on-duty in as many weeks, highlighting the potentially growing dangers of a job that already puts people in harm's way.

Earlier this year, a Kelowna RCMP officer came close to the same fate as Yang when he was stabbed in the eye.

READ MORE: Kelowna isn't waiting for Interior Health for crisis response

Della-Paolera said that officer is thankfully recovering and is expected to return to work after finishing more medical procedures.

The man accused of stabbing the officer was arrested under the Mental Health Act before he was criminally charged with several counts, including attempted murder.

Della-Paolera is the spokesperson for Kelowna RCMP, but he also works with officers after traumatic events to help them recover and get back on the job.

"(The team) helps those members getting back so they can work happy and healthy," he said. "When we have members in a traumatic event, like the crane collapse, we go out as a team."

The reintegration team will help officers with various things either immediately after the event or while on the road to recovery.

He's one of two reintegration officers in Kelowna and four province-wide, he said.

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"Whenever a member of Kelowna RCMP has experience with a traumatic police event and is struggling at home, they can reach out to us and we'll provide supports," he said, which could include a peer support group or connecting with a psychologist.

He recalls one specific incident that led him to do this work of helping other officers get back on the job healthy. Earlier in his career, he witnessed another officer shoot a suspect, only to stay on shift to continue the job.

It was the "old way" of doing things, he said. But the RCMP has "come a long way" in supporting its members.

"I don't want to see a young police officer quit because they can't get through something," Della-Paolera said.

But an increase in violence on city streets is taking a toll on police and prospective officers.

"We're struggling to hire people because, I think, people are starting to see the job is dangerous, and it's exhausting," Della-Paolera said.

Yang's death has shaken police officers in Burnaby, but likely affects officers across the country. Some from Kelowna and Kamloops attended her procession.

While repeat offenders have always been a challenge for B.C. police, Della-Paolera said the brazen offences and the violence has "skyrocketed," echoing similar comments from the Kelowna detachment's superintendent.

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"We've always had homelessness. There's also people that choose to live like this, but the people that are really struggling in the last five or six years, it's really skyrocketed," he said. "The violence has increased, also. I don't know why. People are getting more desperate and COVID had something to do with that."

Cops are trained for the likelihood an encounter can turn sideways at any time. Della-Paolera said he's experienced domestic calls or noise violations to the same home ten to 15 times with no issue, but there's always a chance the situation can turn violent toward officers.

With five officers dead in as many weeks across the country, it highlights the dangers and could point to worsening situations on the streets.

Even firefighters are getting de-escalation training and preparing for confrontations.

In Kamloops, firefighters have seen an escalation of issues on the streets, where they've been threatened or had rocks and bottles thrown at them, chief Ken Uzeloc said.

"There's some concerns, obviously, specifically with the Burnaby incident and going to check on a tent to remove them. Conversely, we respond to people who are living in tents or on the streets," he said.

Kamloops firefighters have been heading to an increasing number of medical calls, often for overdoses. There's also an increase in what Uzeloc dubbed "sleeper calls."

Someone could be passed out inside a car, usually under the influence of drugs, but when firefighters get there, the person is alerted and could drive off, putting emergency crews in danger.

"What we've done is, recently, we've reinforced the workplace violence policies," he said. "If it is getting potentially violent, our members will call for police, back away and secure themselves.... We've also provided some de-escalation techniques to our members."

Firefighters wouldn't typically expect to put themselves into a violent situation, but Uzeloc said it's a symptom of worsening mental health on the streets and the toxic drug crisis.

Both Uzeloc and Della-Paolera said emergency services are not going to solve these issues. It needs a "system-wide" approach, Uzeloc said.

Police in Kelowna have started to push on the repeat offender messaging, often noting how many "negative interactions" an offender has had with police and whether the courts released that person on bail again.

It's a detachment effort to show repeat offenders continue to be released onto Kelowna streets, rather than being kept from society.

While cops and firefighters are put at risk, it highlights the risk for the general public, especially for those that may wish to retrieve suspected stolen property from encampments.

"Before, people were angry. They would spit, maybe, and they would slap you," Della-Paolera said. "Now, it's weapons and violence."

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