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REPORT RAPPORT |
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REPORT RAPPORT |
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DATE: |
16 February 2010 |
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TO/DEST: |
Executive Director, Ottawa Police Services Board |
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FROM/EXP: |
Chief of Police, Ottawa Police Service |
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SUBJECT/OBJET: |
USE OF FORCE:
2009 ANNUAL REPORT
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That the Ottawa Police Services Board receive this report for information.
The Police Service has a comprehensive policy that outlines the roles and responsibilities of members with respect to the use of force. The policy addresses training topics, re-qualification cycles, administration of records and reporting on incidents involving use of force. It ensures that the OPS meets the requirements for “Use of Force” set out in Regulation 926 of the Police Services Act as well as the Provincial Adequacy Standards and Police Services Board policy. In accordance with these policies, an annual Use of Force study must be prepared, be reviewed by the Chief and the Board, and be made available to the community.
The Annual Report presents statistics on the number of incidents of use of force in 2009, categorized by the levels of force outlined in the Ontario Use of Force Model established by the Province. As required by the above-noted policies, staff are presenting the Annual Report to the Board for review and to make it widely available to the community and other partners.
Staff at the Professional Development Centre are responsible for many of the roles outlined in the Use of Force Policy. They:
· Formulate and deliver Use of Force Training (UFT).
· Analyse each report submitted by an officer in every instance in which force is used to ensure it was appropriate.
· Based on that analysis, adjust the training curriculum as necessary and/or provide remedial training to individual officers.
· Maintain all training records.
· Prepare the Annual Use of Force Study.
In accordance with the OPS policy, use of force training is delivered in accordance with Provincial Adequacy Standards using the Ontario Use of Force Model (2004). The model indicates the appropriate use of force option based on the situational factors as well as the subject’s behaviour. A diagram of the model is included below.
Ontario Use
of Force Model (2004)
Summary of 2009 Use of Force Activity
The Ottawa Police
Service responded to 275,720 calls for service in 2009, as compared to 278,989
calls for service in 2008. These calls
for service were mobile response calls and do not include Call Centre calls for
service.
In 2009 there were 479 ‘use of force’ applications used by members of the Ottawa Police Service, a decrease of approximately 17% from the 573 ‘use of force’ applications reported in 2008. This information was gathered from Use of Force Reports submitted by officers. A Use of Force Report is submitted when: a firearm is discharged (except during training); a firearm is displayed to the public; an intermediate weapon or weapon of opportunity is used; or when physical force is used resulting in injury. Various applications of force can be submitted on one Use of Force Report.
The 479 recorded ‘use of force’ applications can be broken down into the following categories:
Physical Control Techniques-Soft 17
Physical Control Techniques-Hard 03
Aerosol Weapons 36
Impact Weapons-Soft 11
Electronic Control Device 13
Firearm Drawn 141
Firearm Pointed at Person 200
Firearm Discharged 55
Total 479
The Ontario Use of Force Model identifies two levels of physical control: soft and hard. In general, physical control means any physical technique used to control a subject that does not involve the use of a weapon.
Soft techniques are control-oriented and have a lower probability of causing injury. They may include restraining techniques, joint locks and non-resisting handcuffing.
Hard techniques are intended to stop a subject’s behaviour or to allow application of control techniques and have a higher probability of causing injury. They may include empty-hand strikes such as punches and kicks.
The following is a
summary of Physical Control Techniques deployed since 2000.
This
use of force option involves the use of less-lethal weapons. Less lethal weapons are those whose use is
not intended to cause serious injury or death.
Aerosol spray, electronic control devices and impact weapons fall under
this heading. Impact weapons can be
further divided into soft and hard categories.
In a soft manner they are used to assist in restraining an
individual who resists arrest. In this
capacity they are normally employed as a tool to augment physical control
restraint and control techniques.
Impact weapons can be used in a hard manner when a police
officer or a member of the public is being physically assaulted. In this capacity, the impact weapon can be
used to deliver strikes.
The
following is a summary of Aerosol deployments since 2000.
The
following is a summary of Electronic
Control Device (Taser) deployments
since 2000.
As
of November 2007 the Taser was deployed to front line supervisors, prior to
this the Tactical Unit was the only resource for the Taser. As of the end of 2009 there are over 150
front line supervisors, 34 Tactical officers, and 12 Professional Development
Center Instructors trained in the use of the Taser.
The
following is a summary of Impact
weapons (Batons) deployed since 2000.
Lethal Force - Firearms
Firearms
documented in this report include: officers’ side arms, carbines, as well as
Tactical firearms. With respect to carbines
and Tactical firearms, officers at times would not indicate the weapon being
drawn since it did not come out of a holster.
This resulted in a discrepancy between firearms drawn and firearms
pointed.
The
following is a summary of Firearms
pointed at a person since 2000.
For
2009, out of the 55 times firearms were discharged: 53 of those times were to
euthanize animals, while the other two involved suspects being shot during
armed robberies.
The
following is a summary of Firearms
discharged since 2000.
CONSULTATION
By submitting this report to the Board, use of force statistics and background information will be available for discussion with the community and other partners.
Not applicable.
Use of Force monitoring is a critical function, which provides opportunities to evaluate specific personnel in various fact situations and determine whether training and policy compliance standards have been met. In addition, it permits analysis of data to identify trends that may or may not be indicative of the need for training intervention. Use of force monitoring allows: an assessment of the appropriateness of officer interventions through a mandated Use of Force continuum; it allows an assessment of the efficacy of equipment; and ultimately through the public disclosure of this data, it allows for a level of public scrutiny around the kinds of interventions being undertaken.
(original signed by)
Vern White
Chief of Police
