Canadian Police Research Articles

They Have Always Been Military: On So-Called Militarized Policing in Canada

Over the last few years there has been growing attention to and discussion of the so-called militarization of policing. Unfortunately, much of this discussion poses the militarization of policing as a recent phenomenon. This paper examines policing in Canada within the context of an ongoing military practice. It shows that policing was founded on a military basis and continues to be carried out on a military basis as exemplified in the more recent developments that have raised alarm about militarization. It raises the need for a retheorization of policing within the context of capitalist social struggles and highlights some instructive recent theoretical developments toward that end. Properly understanding the police in Canada can help to contextualize and challenge current responses that are limited to reforms for police (de-militarization, de-escalation, improved training, non-lethal weaponry, etc.) or which even allow for the expansion of policing (community policing, drones, etc.). [Article copies available for a fee from The Transformative Studies Institute. E-mail address: journal@transformativestudies.org Website: http://www.transformativestudies.org ©2024 by The Transformative Studies Institute. All rights reserved.] KEYWORDS: Canada, Colonialism, Militarization, Policing, Protest, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Settler States, War.

Investigating a Train-the-Trainer Model of Supervision and Peer Review for Child Interviewers in Canadian Police Services

AbstractThis project, conducted in one Canadian province, investigated whether a train-the-trainer model of supervision and peer review could improve the interviewing skills of police officers new to interviewing children. At 6 police services, 2 “interview specialists” were chosen by criteria (e.g. having conducted > 30 interviews with children), commitment (minimum 2 years to project), and performance evaluation of a mock and field interview. Specialists received additional training on leading group peer review and individual supervision. They carried out these activities over a 9-month period with 3–4 trainees (new interviewers) per site. Trainees’ interview performance was evaluated with mock and field interviews pre and post intervention. Qualitative interviews about project feasibility were carried out with the specialists at the end of the project, and the results of those interviews comprise the focus of this paper. At the time of the qualitative interviews, only 9 specialists and 5 sites remained in the project. Their interviews revealed that organizational buy-in was critical theme. Other emergent themes were that (different) training is needed for all levels of interviewing experience including interview specialists, that peer review formats are not one-size-fits-all across services, and that fostering a culture of peer review enhances cohesion.

Our State / Ourselves: Discourses on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Police Peacekeeping

ABSTRACT This paper presents findings from interview research with Canadian police officers deployed to the UN peacekeeping missions in Haiti between 2004 and 2017. Focusing on the problem of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), we present three discourses that emerge from this research and their reasoning about the problem of SEA. These discourses suggest that (1) other contributing countries are responsible for the problem of SEA; (2) the UN fails to sanction SEA in practice, while Canada does sanction SEA; and (3) Haitians and Haitian culture undermines efforts to reduce SEA. Using tools of critical discourse analysis, we show how discourses on SEA reinforce a mentality of self-exemption that treats sexual misconduct as a problem in which Canada and Canadians are largely innocent, while the UN, other contributing countries, and Haitians themselves, bear much more fault. We argue that these discourses reproduce a narrative of innocence and contribute to Canada’s national mythology as a do-gooder nation that is largely exempt from perpetrating SEA, despite evidence to the contrary.

A pilot study on the efficacy of an online mindfulness intervention for Canadian police officers

A pilot study on the efficacy of an online mindfulness intervention for Canadian police officers

The Need for a Standardized Body-Worn Camera Policy

Based on a survey of all federal, provincial, municipal, and First Nations police services in Canada, 36 of 172 Canadian police services are using body-worn cameras (BWCs) as of 2022. Twenty-seven of these services shared their BWC policy with the researchers of the source article. Almost all BWC policies provided activation instructions, required subject notification of BWC use as soon as reasonably possible, did not allow BWC footage to substitute for other forms of evidence, and permitted users to view their BWC footage. However, some important topics were not consistently discussed in existing policies, including issues around camera buffering, victim-sensitive practices, and services publicly disclosing BWC footage in the public interest. Police services should work towards using a nationally standardized BWC policy to promote evidence-based practice, increase public confidence in police, reduce resource wastage in services acquiring BWCs, and decrease liability for services using a shared standard.

Bridging the divide: Exploring inequities between sworn and civilian leaders in a Canadian police service.

Policing in the 21st century has rapidly become more complex, accountable, and changeable. Concern has emerged across the globe over the sustainability of public policing. Empirical research has supported that effective leadership at all levels of an organization is necessary to achieve success. Much has been said about the importance of effective leadership in policing. This paper explores an unexpected key finding from a mixed-methods, explanatory sequential design doctoral study that examined the self-efficacy beliefs and the factors that have influenced the leader effectiveness of sworn and civilian police leaders in a major Canadian police organization.

Lessons learnt from roadside collisions: A Canadian police perspective

Lessons learnt from roadside collisions: A Canadian police perspective

‘Me, us, and Them’: Policing and the Dynamics of Identity Work

The study of identity work has grown exponentially in the past decade; however, little research has been undertaken in challenging occupational contexts, such as policing. Existing studies have focused on tensions between personal and work identities, such as being a woman in a male-dominated workplace, or how officers have responded to threats to their occupational identities. Using data collected from interviews with 32 Canadian police officers, this study examines the circumstances that compel officers to engage in identity work and the processes undertaken to alleviate these identity conflicts or threats. The findings illustrate that police officer identity work is prompted by four primary triggers, defined as: (1) identity strain; (2) work-identity stigma; (3) identity maturation; and (4) organizational indifference. The findings also suggest that these triggers are influenced by police culture and the related socialization processes that continue to emphasize traditional masculine attributes (e.g., aggression, physical strength and toughness).

Historical child sexual abuse cases reported to the police by Indigenous adults in a northern Canadian territory: an exploration of factors affecting the likelihood of charges and convictions

ABSTRACT The current research examined historical child sexual abuse files from a northern Canadian police force, looking at factors pertaining to the offence, the complainant and the suspect, in an area with a large Indigenous population. The dataset analysed represented all reported cases (N = 229) of historical child sexual abuse by Indigenous complainants in the database of the participating force from 2005 to 2019. Analysis of all cases showed charges were more likely in cases with multiple complainants, female complainants and complainants 11–14 years old at the time of the abuse. For cases where charges were laid (n = 135), convictions were slightly more likely in cases with less serious offences. For trial cases (n = 75), multiple complainants, the relationship of suspect to complainant, age of suspect and age difference between complainant and suspect were significantly associated with trial outcome. Ethnicity of suspects showed no relationship to charges or convictions. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT This research demonstrates the importance of support for all victims of historical child sexual abuse when navigating the difficult process of disclosing abuse and engaging the criminal justice process. In particular, Indigenous men may need increased access to victim services, given the finding that they are less likely to see charges and convictions at trial for their cases. Continued public education encouraging reporting of child sexual abuse, even for victims of historical crimes, is needed as cases with long delays between offence and report are just as likely to result in charges and convictions as cases with less delay.

Barriers and bridges: Exploring the introduction of meditation and mindfulness training into Canadian policing

Canadian police organizations are under significant pressure to enhance the health and wellness of their employees. Growing research suggests that training in meditation and mindfulness can contribute to the well-being of police personnel and may even be a catalyst for police reform. Limited research, however, has been conducted that seeks to understand how these practices should be introduced into Canadian police organizations. This article contributes to this understanding by sharing results from an exploratory study that asked 11 Commissioned Officers, who regularly practice meditation, to identify the key factors that should be considered when introducing mindfulness practice into their large Canadian police service. Using semi-structured interviews and focus groups, and guided by a reflexive thematic analysis approach, six themes were developed. These can be viewed as both barriers (invincibility and stigma; overworked and overstressed; and checkbox cynicism) and bridges (credible champions; the whole person perspective; and the philosophy of servant leadership) to the successful introduction of meditation and mindfulness practices into Canadian police organizations. This study advances the literature on introducing mindfulness to policing as it is one of the first to focus on the perceptions of mindfulness practicing Commissioned Police Officers. It also offers practical suggestions for police leaders, and leaders from other public safety professions, to consider when contemplating the introduction of these mental practices into their organizations.

A Comparison of Police Use of Force by Male and Female Officers in Canada: Rates, Modalities, Effectiveness, and Injuries

Research has reported inconsistent findings with respect to how female and male police officers use force. This study examined this issue in a Canadian context. Use of force data over 9 years were collected from a large Canadian police agency. The results demonstrated that, overall, female officers used force less frequently than male officers relative to the number of female and male officers within the participating police agency. Female officers had lower odds of using physical control “hard” options (e.g., stuns and strikes) and higher odds of using intermediate weapons (e.g., conducted energy weapon) compared with male officers. Female officers also generally reported less effectiveness, more injuries to themselves, and fewer injuries to subjects related to their use of force compared with male officers. Literature on police use of force and social role theory are used to help explain the findings, and recommendations for improving outcomes in police–public interactions are suggested.

Coercive control and risk in intimate partner violence: are Canadian police prepared to assess?

ABSTRACT Coercive control is an ongoing pattern of abuse that is intended to isolate, humiliate, degrade, and micro-regulate the everyday life of a victim; often found amongst intimate partner violence (IPV) situations yet may not present with physical evidence. Police officers are called to respond to these conditions, yet are limited by training, legislation, and risk assessment tools that often concentrate primarily on the presence of physical violence alone. An online survey was distributed to police officers across Canada to understand how they explore, and respond to IPV and coercive control, and what they consider to be the most pertinent risk factors when assessing the severity of a situation. Findings reveal that police officers continue to emphasise perpetrator behaviours that involve physical violence and serious physical harm. As Canada is currently considering the possibility of criminalising coercive control, results highlight that further training and improved risk assessment tools will be necessary in order for police to be able to effectively respond.

Policing social media: Are procedural justice principles guiding Canadian police interactions online?

Police presence on social media has become increasingly common in recent years and has arguably altered policing in many ways. Although research in this area is increasing, the growing presence of police on a range of social media platforms requires further examination of the various nuances that continue to emerge regarding this symbiosis. To that end, only a small number of studies have examined this topic from the perspective of police personnel in the Canadian context. Accordingly, drawing on in-depth interviews with police personnel overseeing police social media sites, this article examines how Canadian police services manage negativity and conflict online. The findings suggest that police services address negativity and conflict on their social media sites by drawing on the principles of procedural justice to guide their interactions. We discuss the implications of these findings and how police–public social media interactions might be improved.

COMMUNITY POLICING AND REPRESENTATION WITHIN POLICING IN CANADA

On November 14, 2023, Jacqueline Edwards presented Community Policing and Representation within Policing in Canada for this year’s West Coast Security Conference. The key points discussed were diversity in policing and the importance of accountability and community engagement in policing.
 
 Received: 12-18-2023
 Revised: 01-26-2024

CANADIAN POLICE KNOWLEDGE NETWORK TRAINING THE POLICE AND SECURITY PROFESSIONALS IN THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR POLICING

On November 14, 2023, Barrington Duffy, Business Development Representative for the Canadian Police Knowledge Network (CPKN), presented Training the Police and Security Professionals in the professional development for policing for this year’s West Coast Security Conference. The key points discussed were the role of CPKN in training policies and professional development in policing, the issues and key focuses of the policing sector in Canada, and the need for ongoing investment in technology, collaboration, and education in overcoming challenges in the policing sector.
 
 Received: 01-17-2024
 Revised: 01-29-2024

Understanding the physical fitness standard, recruitment, and retention of Canadian Emergency Response Teams

Canadian police services rely on their Emergency Response Teams (ERT) to respond to diverse calls for service, requiring ERT members to meet physical fitness standards aligned with the physically demanding components of ERT responsibilities. In the current article, we explore the different physical testing components of Canadian tactical teams to better understand the physical testing standards for ERT. We do this by investigating how members of the Association of Canadian Critical Incident Commanders respond to closed and open-ended survey items related to fitness testing for ERT members, consequences of not passing ERT physical testing standards, and how fitness standards are perceived as creating barriers to member retention and recruitment to ERT. We center our discussion on the need for a physically capable police service to ensure security, reduce risk, and enhance public safety and suggest potential avenues for policy changes tied to physical testing standards as ways forward.

Masculinity contest cultures and organizational outcomes in police organizations

Abstract As a male-dominated occupation that has historically valued strength, risk-taking, and control, policing may be particularly susceptible to masculinity contest cultures (MCC), characterized by social norms that valorize physical ability, avoid weakness, prioritize work, and promote dominance. Through surveys of patrol officers from five Canadian police agencies (n = 238), this study explored the existence of MCCs and their relationship with organizational outcomes. The study suggested that an officer’s perception of their work within an MCC can predict job engagement (b = −0.48, P < .001), work meaning (b = −0.35, P < .001), self-reported performance (b = −0.07, P < .001), and turnover intention (b = 0.07, P < .001) when controlling for gender, supervisory status, years of police service, and university education. Additionally, university degrees were a significant positive predictor of MCC scores (b = 2.40, P < .01), indicating that university-educated police officers perceive their workplace cultures as more masculine. As the first study that related MCCs to university education, job engagement, and work meaning in policing, it advances our understanding and provides insights into how these cultures relate to organizational outcomes. The results also have implications for policy and police administration.

Mindful police leadership: Opening essential new pathways to 21st-century police leadership and culture

Canadian police managers are facing a series of daunting new challenges that will require significant personal resources to address. Growing research suggests mindfulness training, meditation, and other related contemplative practices appear to benefit leaders in other professions; however, little is known about how these practices may, or may not, be helpful for police leaders. This article contributes to this understanding by sharing results from an exploratory qualitative study that asked senior police leaders who self-identified as regular meditators to discuss how their practices might influence their leadership. Guided by a reflective thematic analysis approach and utilizing NVivo Qualitative Data Analysis Software, data from semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 11 Commissioned Officers from a large Canadian police service were analyzed for themes. Broadly organized by influence on job performance, relationships, and well-being, eight distinct themes were developed: enhanced calmness and self-control; better clarity and decision making; improved focus and efficiency; enhanced presence with others; improved conflict resolution practices; greater compassion and empathy; reduced harmful stress; and enhanced resilience and work/life integration. These results begin to extend the literature on mindful leadership from other workplace contexts into the realm of police leadership and suggest that meditation and mindfulness are beneficial practices that may open new and essential pathways towards 21st century police leadership and culture.

Strategic planning practices in policing: evidence from the field

PurposeThis study aims to provide information concerning practices for creating strategic plans in municipal policing organizations and their use in practice.Design/methodology/approachThis study surveyed a sample of Canadian police services, including four of the ten largest services in Canada, to investigate their planning practices and the study’s findings to the results of a content analysis of strategic plans reported by Rogers et al. (2020). This study did not conduct content analysis and therefore relied on the findings of Rogers et al. (2020).FindingsSome respondents indicated they do not apply some practices generally considered advisable. Other respondents indicated they undertake a practice even though doing so is not evident from a review of the associated strategic plans.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is based entirely on self-reported survey data. The study did not interview respondents to find out why they responded as they did.Practical implicationsThis study points to specific improvements municipal policing organizations could adopt which offer the prospect of creating better strategic plans and better strategic planning outcomes.Social implicationsPolicing organizations are important institutions in society. As a regular part of their activities, they interact with a broad cross-section of the society within which they operate. This paper presents ideas concerning how policing organizations can improve how they adapt themselves to their social environment to improve those interactions.Originality/valueNo other study collects self-reported data on how police services conduct strategic planning and use strategic plans at this level of detail.

“Are Canadian Street Cops Outgunned?”: The Debate over Police Handguns in the 1990s

AbstractThis article offers the first scholarly analysis of the shift from revolvers to semi-automatic handguns in Canada to contribute to our knowledge of police militarization. In the 1990s, most Canadian police handed in their venerable service revolvers and received modern semi-automatic pistols. Advocates of new weapons pointed to relatively rare but high-profile shootings of police to show the dangers of law enforcement work and the need to have better firearms. The gun industry encouraged the rearming of police through an aggressive marketing campaign emphasizing that modern police forces required more advanced weapons and the military lineage of their products. The transition to semi-automatic handguns sometimes proved controversial, as human rights advocates believed the new handguns could result in excessive use of force. Despite this concern, most police were rearmed by the beginning of the twenty-first century.