Police Board 2(file photo) An average of six Mental Health calls for service per day.

That figure is included in the first annual report of the Mobile Crisis Team, a partnership involving North Bay Police and the North Bay Regional Health Centre.

The report was presented to the Police Services Board meeting this week.   The team involves an officer and a Registered Nurse experienced in mental health nursing.

It began as a six month pilot project and is now a permanent program.

Police Chief Paul Cook says the original goal was to be more efficient and effective in their operations, but they’ve noticed another positive outcome.

He says they’re actually “delivering services in a much more compassionate manner.”

Cook goes on to say, “rather than responding to repeated calls to the same residence to deal with the same person, we’re doing what we can to take steps to provide supports for those individuals so that they can have success on a go forward basis.”

The Mobile Crisis Team received 2104 calls for service between September 15th, 2014 and September 15th, 2015.

Recommendations moving forward include looking into the possibility of expanding into schools.