Letter to the Editor
The Toronto Star
March 15, 2007
Disclosure harms the mentally ill
Volunteers protest doubled fee
March 13
The practice of police to disclose non-criminal information about an individual's involvement with the mental-health system is another significant issue. People with mental illness may come into contact with the police for reasons that are not criminal in nature. When a loved one is in crisis, a family's first reaction is often to call the police for assistance. But what they do not realize is that this can lead to a police record.
The reporting of mental-health information erroneously suggests that these individuals committed a crime. This can affect an individual's ability to pursue volunteer, educational and job opportunities.
Both the Ontario Human Rights Commission and Information and Privacy Commissioner have also expressed concerns about such practices.
David Simpson, Mental Health Police Records Coalition, Toronto
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