Sault Ste. Marie Police change their approach to intimate partner violence, following killings last year

After five people in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., including three children, were killed in a violent attack last year by a former intimate partner, the local police service started a pilot program to prevent future tragedies.

"Situations like this cause us to look inwards," Sault Ste. Marie Police Chief Hugh Stevenson told CBC Radio in a recent interview.

"There was never a moment where we felt, oh, we're doing enough. Not with that level of tragedy in your community."

According to documents obtained by the Canadian Press, Bobbie Hallaert, the 44-year-old gunman responsible for killing three children, a former partner and himself last October, had a history with local police.

He was charged with the assault of a police officer in 2019. Police also said he was involved in intimate partner investigations in the past.

Stevenson said the police service pivoted after the shootings to try to prevent similar situations from escalating.

On March 5, the police service started a pilot program in which officers would follow up with complainants whose calls could be related to intimate partner violence.

Every time someone calls about intimate partner violence, they get a call back from an officer a few days later to see if the complainant needs other support services or safety planning .

Chief Stevenson said since the program started, police have called back 677 complainants.

He said thirty-one of the calls led to criminal investigations, and of those, eight people have been charged with crimes related to intimate partner violence.

"We've certainly mitigated violent situations that could lead to the loss of life," Stevenson said.

Lincoln Louttit, a spokesperson for the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service, said in an email to CBC News that the program is now a permanent part of how police officers in the city respond to intimate partner violence cases.