PREPARED BY: Substance Use Prevention And Harm Reduction
DATE: 2026-05-14
SUBJECT: Substance Supports in Neighbourhoods Accessed through Police Partnerships (SSNAPP) 2026 Update
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE
Building on the demonstrated success of the original Substance Supports in Neighbourhoods Accessed through Police Partnerships (SSNAPP) initiative in Windsor, the SSNAPP project evolved as a natural continuation and expansion of this work across Windsor‑Essex County. Between 2022 and 2025, a partnership between the Windsor Police Service, the Windsor‑Essex County Health Unit (WECHU), and the City of Windsor resulted in the development and wide distribution of four Neighbourhood Safety Plans targeting high‑priority postal codes in Windsor (N9A, N8X, N8Y, and N8W). These outcomes established a strong foundation and demonstrated the value of SSNAPP’s community‑driven approach.
Building on this success, partners identified opportunities to extend the initiative to additional high‑priority municipalities across Windsor‑Essex County and to enhance training supports for first responders and service providers. With funding secured through a subsequent Community Safety and Policing (CSP) Grant obtained via the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in 2025, the WECHU undertook its second SSNAPP initiative in collaboration with the OPP and the Windsor‑Essex Community Safety and Well‑Being (CSWB) Plan.
Consistent with the original SSNAPP goals, this phase focused on strengthening substance use and mental health crisis response, deepening community engagement, and improving neighbourhood‑level safety. This work was advanced through a coordinated set of activities, including the delivery of specialized training for police officers and service providers, the development of municipality‑specific Neighbourhood Safety Plans for Leamington and Essex, and the implementation of a public education campaign highlighting local supports and services.
Neighbourhood Safety Plans
Analysis of Windsor-Essex overdose and EMS data identified Leamington and Essex as municipalities with the highest number of substance-related EMS calls outside the City of Windsor. Based on these findings, SSNAPP partners identified the need for municipality-specific community safety resources focused on substance use and mental health emergencies.
In October 2025, consultation activities were conducted to obtain community and stakeholder input on local safety concerns. A community survey was distributed for residents, business owners, and anyone who lives or works in the Leamington and/or Essex areas. Respondents identified the prevalence of safety issues including mental health crises, substance use crises, homelessness, harassment, and vandalism and provided additional feedback.
To complement survey findings, four focus groups were conducted between October 20th and 27th, 2025, involving 23 participants from policing, mental health, substance use, housing, education, outreach, and administrative sectors. Based on these findings, Neighbourhood Safety Plans were developed for each municipality. Both plans include information on identifying and seeking support for intimate partner violence and human trafficking, as well as approximately 46 local and regional resources spanning mental health, substance use, homelessness, newcomer, and youth services. The Leamington Safety Plan was translated into Spanish and Low German, reflecting the most common non-English languages spoken locally.
As of April 22nd, 2026, over 1,300 Leamington and Essex safety plans have been distributed to organizations and businesses across both municipalities. Distribution will continue at community events, and printed copies will remain available at Essex County Library branches in Leamington and Essex. Digital copies of the plans are available for download at ssnapp.ca.
Training and Education
To strengthen crisis response capacity, training workshops were delivered to police officers and service providers on trauma-informed care, substance use, mental health, and de-escalation strategies. Six workshops were delivered between November 21, 2025, and March 3, 2026, including three full-day, in-person sessions and three half-day, virtual sessions, with outcomes including:
- 108 officers and service providers trained
- 98% reported confidence applying training content
Public Education
A public education campaign was delivered from March 9-18th, 2026, through the WECHU’s social media platforms to promote community safety messaging and local resources. Content highlighted initiatives from the Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy (WECOSS), the Windsor Essex Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, and the Leamington and Essex Neighbourhood Safety Plans.
Paid and geographically targeted promotion ensured content reached residents of Leamington and Essex including four boosted posts that reached 29,823 individuals resulting in 55,873 views and 1,273 engagements (likes, comments, shares, link clicks).
All safety plans can be accessed online at ssnapp.ca.