Police-Encounters-With-People-In-Crisis

I want to impress upon you the necessity of maintaining the
public’s trust and the grave implications for all of us if it is
lost. Actions by members that break the law and violate the
public trust diminish the public’s perception of the
professionalism of the police and tarnish the reputation of
the Service.
As a member of the Service, the single most important role
you fulfil is maintaining the trust and support of the public.
In every interaction with members of the public or coworkers,
you must conduct yourself lawfully, professionally
and ethically. You must always be able to articulate the
reasons and grounds for your actions. Ultimately, you are
responsible for ensuring that your conduct is above
reproach. 10
29. This statement is, of course, a formal statement of TPS culture, and cannot on its
own determine the informal culture of the organization. However, in discussions with
many individuals from the TPS over the course of the Review, it became apparent that,
virtually without exception, all of these TPS members believe strongly in the values of
honour and professionalism. This alone does not signify that the Service is without flaws
or that there are not exceptions. But, it does show that the TPS builds on a strong
cultural foundation as it continues to seek to self-improve through the process initiated
by this Review and otherwise.
2. Areas for improvement
30. It became apparent through the course of the Review that, consciously or not,
many members of the TPS share certain beliefs and attitudes that are somewhat
unhelpful. A list of pertinent examples follows. It should be emphasized that, although
these elements of the culture do seem to be somewhat pervasive, they are by no means
universal. Moreover, many TPS members hold a mixture of both helpful and less helpful
beliefs and attitudes at the same time. The existence of these cultural features does not
signify failure by the TPS, but identifying them will assist the Service in charting a
course that will hopefully overcome them.
31. Deaths are inevitable: Many members of the TPS assume that police shootings of
people in crisis cannot be avoided. This leads to an apparent lack of enthusiasm for
efforts designed to make changes that seek to minimize the number of deaths. On the
one hand, given the repeated occurrence of such shootings over the years, this attitude
could be viewed as simply realistic rather than pessimistic. And I do not attribute malice
to those who hold this attitude. On the other hand, it is clear from the results of this
Review that there are things that can be done to try to minimize the need for lethal
force, and that could, in fact, save lives. When every death is one too many, it is
important to maintain an attitude of optimism and hope, and to do everything
reasonably possible to try to improve.
10
TPS, Service Governance Standards, supra note 2 at 1.
Police Encounters With People in Crisis |122