A report going to the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners on Thursday says the demand for PACT teams continues to exceed capacity.

PACT units provide a police response to those experiencing significant mental illness and/or addiction issues.

The goal is to keep more people out of detention who could instead be offered treatment if they are feeling suicidal, attempting self-harm, are suspected to be mentally ill or are dealing with addiction.

In 2021 the PACT unit was deployed to 1,894 calls and the numbers have steadily increased in the last five years with 3,410 calls in 2025 also higher than the year prior.

PACT is comprised of four specialized teams with the partnerships being comprised of a police officer and a Crisis worker. Each Platoon within the SPS Patrol Bureau has a dedicated PACT unit.

Three of the four PACT units have the police positions provincially funded, and Crisis worker’s positions funded by SHA. Saskatoon Police Service fully funds both the police officer and Crisis worker for the fourth PACT unit.

The report notes that with the demand for mental health related calls for service increasing in Saskatoon, the unit makes every effort to divert away from the hospital with the Emergency Departments continuing to be overburdened. In Addiction PACT, like EMS, has to wait with a subject in Emergency which means they can’t respond to calls in progress.

The Saskatoon Police Service is examining options that may allow PACT units to continue to be available to in progress calls. In 2025 PACT helped reduce sending people to police cells by 59.6 per cent compared to the year before.