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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, August 16, 2013 | 6 The fact that Louise Bradley, president and CEO of the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), was invited to address the Canadian Association of Police Boards (CAPB) this week in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is a positive step toward improving frontline police of cers' handling of calls involving people coping with mental illness. That the CAPB's annual conference is themed Bridging the Gap: Policing and Mental Health is also an encouraging sign. It shows that police boards recognize that those in the mental health eld are an excellent resource toward gaining a better understanding of how police might improve how they deal with people with mental health issues and illnesses. Sadly, interactions between police of cers and those coping with mental illness don't always end well. Just last spring, Halton's police service was the subject of a scathing ruling by Justice Stephen D. Brown in the case of a man with schizophrenia who was tasered six times and punched after he attempted to refuse anti-psychotic drugs while in a psychiatric intensive care room at Burlington's Joseph Brant Hospital. "This case is an indictment of the treatment of mentally ill individuals in our public health system and in our judicial system," Justice Brown wrote in a ruling that also called into question whether hospital witnesses fabricated evidence or collaborated to protect each other. Last year, the Toronto Police Services Board welcomed comments and recommendations from social service workers, mental health activists and witnesses to police shootings in the wake of three highly-publicized deaths of citizens after confrontations with Toronto police of cers. This summer, after the shooting of Sammy Yatim, people made it clear they will no longer settle for excuses about the way police handle confrontations with emotionally disturbed people. This week came news that Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair has reached out to a retired judge to head up a review of how the force responds to mentally ill people. Blair called on Dennis O'Connor, a former associate chief justice of Ontario with a record of tackling dif cult public issues, including the events in Walkerton. Blair has made a notable move. That our country's police services and police boards want to improve upon the outcomes when police are called to respond to incidents involving people coping with mental illness is most de nitely a step in the right direction. Hopefully, that step will go further than a review, study or recommendations and will actually be put into practice for the bene t of those with mental illness, the police and the public. Steps in the right direction Editorial A W E E E A R L Y "Connected to your Community" 467 Speers Road, Oakville ON, L6K 3S4 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Editorial Department: (905) 632-0588 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 51 | Number 56 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice ­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Halton Region Editor in Chief Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS Sarah Moran will celebrate her upcoming 100th birthday with her family here in Oakville on Aug. 24. Sarah, was born in Glasgow, Scotland Oct 29,1913. She was raised there until age 13, then moved to Canada with her family. Sarah now has ve children (Marg, Bill, Sally, Maxine and David) 12 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. Her family is holding the 100th birthday celebration for her, a wee early, to ensure that as many family members and friends can attend during the summer holidays. Sarah has called Oakville home for 52 of her 100 years. She enjoys travelling -- having returned to Glasgow at age 97 -- and annually making the trek to Florida. | photo courtesy Dave Moran MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Thanks to two extraordinary young women Last Friday night around 11:30 p.m., my husband and I were cycling home after a great evening at the Oakville Jazz Festival in downtown Oakville. Little did we realize that my husband's wallet had dropped out of his back pocket, scattering the contents all over the road. So we were a little leary when the doorbell rang just before midnight. Two girls (students of McLachlan College, I later discovered) stood there on the porch with the wallet and all of its contents. They had unsuccessfully tried to follow us in their car, but then found the address in the wallet. Olivia was the name of one of the girls and I'm sorry I didn't catch the other name. We were so overwhelmed by the whole incident that we could only utter our thanks, over and over. And in those moments, we (embarrassingly) overlooked giving them a reward for this act of kindness. The two young ladies went above and beyond, and took a risk by ringing at a stranger's door so late at night. If it is not possible for us to repay them, then I hope that something wonderful will come their way. They are two extraordinary young ladies. And we are so grateful. Carlene Mercer, Oakville Letters to the Editor Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Proud Official Media Sponsor For: The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to: ablackburn@oakvillebeaver. com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. 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