Police-Encounters-With-People-In-Crisis
Police-Encounters-With-People-In-Crisis Police-Encounters-With-People-In-Crisis
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) knowledge of applicable laws; verbal communication skills (demonstrating professionalism with the public, preventing conflict, de-escalating volatile situations, using appropriate tone and active listening, and building rapport); written communication skills; knowledge of TPS structure and procedures; knowledge of community composition and resources; officer safety; use of force; police vehicle operations; commitment (empathy and desire to help others, personal initiative, and professional discipline); self-confidence (leadership, knowledge of strengths and limitations, and reliance on support systems); mental preparedness (visualizing and role playing scenarios and mentally preparing for critical activities); focus (common sense, practical resolutions, and controlling the pace of crisis situations); and (m) seeking feed-back and conducting self-evaluations. 23 23. The OPC Coach Officer Manual provides advice on improving trainees’ performance in each skill area, including rehearsing plans of action based on calls heard on the radio or before performing a particular task, providing additional exposure to the public on foot patrol or by meeting with community leaders, and practising how to differentiate behavioural levels within the Ontario Use of Force Model (described in Chapter 10 (Use of Force)). The Manual further recommends debriefing after every call, providing positive feedback when deserved, and discussing successful calls in order to reinforce effective performance patterns. 24 24. Although new recruits are not required to attend every kind of call listed in the Manual during their probationary period, their coach officer must at least walk them through the issues and responses for each kind of call that is not directly encountered. 25 23 Id. at 13-14. 24 Id. at 136. 25 Id. at 6. Police Encounters With People in Crisis |163
Calls involving people in crisis are among the kinds of calls listed in the OPC Manual to which trainees are expected to get exposure. 25. Coach officers can have a critical influence on new members of the Service because they have daily contact with new officers and possess primary responsibility for ensuring trainees become competent in all performance areas within their first months of duty. Coach officers can enhance TPC and OPC training by walking their trainees through realistic crisis scenarios, ensuring new recruits are exposed to calls involving people in crisis, and debriefing the positive and negative actions and outcomes of every situation. 26. However, because of the influence the coach officers hold over new members, some commentators have said that a coach officer who adopts the wrong approach can “undo six months of training in half an hour.” Coach officers hold the discretion to focus trainees’ attention on “hard skills” involving use of force and, if not properly educated themselves, can perpetuate negative stereotypes about people in crisis. In such cases, trainees could be given ineffective guidance on how to handle calls involving people in crisis, or deprived of information about available mental health resources that can assist them in effectively handling such calls. Given what is at stake, it is essential that TPS selects its coach officers from among a pool of candidates best suited to enhancing standardized training and instilling a progressive, respectful Service culture. 27. The Review was advised that there is no formal mechanism for evaluating the effectiveness of coach officer training. As such, it is difficult to measure the real-world benefits of a program that appears carefully considered and well-intentioned on paper. C. Debriefing 1. Standards and training 28. The Ontario Policing Standards Manual requires that the TPS set out debriefing processes for teams involved in the following areas: containment, tactical, hostage rescue, major incident command, crisis negotiation, explosives, marine, canine, and public order. 26 However, there is no provincial requirement that primary response units debrief after incidents involving people in crisis, or that divisional supervisors conduct debriefings with officers following crisis situations. 29. The Review heard that there is currently no systematic framework for debriefing incidents involving primary response officers and people in crisis. While there is the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) for more serious incidents (as discussed in Chapter 9 (The Mental Health of Police Personnel), the role of CIRT is focused primarily on helping officers with traumatic stress rather than debriefing learning points from the incident. 26 MCSCS, Policing, supra note 2, ER-001-ER-010, PO-001 “Emergency Response” and “Public Order Maintenance” (March 2010) at Appendix 1, 2-3. Police Encounters With People in Crisis |164
- Page 116 and 117: ii. iii. iv. providing cross-sector
- Page 119 and 120: CHAPTER 5. POLICE CULTURE Table of
- Page 121 and 122: 7. It is for this reason that, alth
- Page 123 and 124: officers against vulnerable citizen
- Page 125 and 126: I want to impress upon you the nece
- Page 127 and 128: policing. That is an unfortunate at
- Page 129: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) A c
- Page 132 and 133: Chapter 6. Selection of Police Offi
- Page 134 and 135: of a police constable. Furthermore,
- Page 136 and 137: 4. Education 19. A number of indivi
- Page 138 and 139: 1. The Emergency Task Force 29. Psy
- Page 140 and 141: elationship with a TPS member, the
- Page 142 and 143: positions are directed to demonstra
- Page 145 and 146: CHAPTER 7. TRAINING Table of Conten
- Page 147 and 148: policing as compared to the data re
- Page 149 and 150: services identified in the Police S
- Page 151 and 152: my view, police training should aim
- Page 153 and 154: 25. When recruits return from the B
- Page 155 and 156: However, the Review also heard that
- Page 157 and 158: (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) Use of Forc
- Page 160 and 161: CHAPTER 8. SUPERVISION Table of Con
- Page 162 and 163: can be considered for further promo
- Page 164 and 165: 13. The TPS provides a two-part sup
- Page 168 and 169: 30. All TPS members are trained in
- Page 170 and 171: the TPS must participate in an annu
- Page 172 and 173: (a) Misconduct 49. Pursuant to the
- Page 174 and 175: Further, a hearing officer may impo
- Page 176 and 177: II. Overview of Issues Highlighted
- Page 178 and 179: (j) Valuing the Role of Debriefs: m
- Page 180: De-escalation requirements RECOMMEN
- Page 183 and 184: Chapter 9. The Mental Health of Pol
- Page 185 and 186: B. Workplace mental health standard
- Page 187 and 188: 20. As discussed in Chapter 5 (Poli
- Page 189 and 190: TPS member or a group of TPS member
- Page 191 and 192: 45. If an officer is subject to a f
- Page 193 and 194: II. Overview of Issues Highlighted
- Page 196 and 197: CHAPTER 10. USE OF FORCE Table of C
- Page 198 and 199: and Effectiveness of Police Service
- Page 200 and 201: Figure 1. The Ontario Use of Force
- Page 202 and 203: 19. Although it is beyond the scope
- Page 204 and 205: 28. The Criminal Code limits the ac
- Page 206 and 207: 36. The Use of Force Procedure auth
- Page 208 and 209: primary response officers is to con
- Page 210 and 211: Table 1. IACP Model Policies v. Ont
- Page 212 and 213: armed units—approximately 10% of
- Page 214 and 215: 65. Communication is central to eve
Calls involving people in crisis are among the kinds of calls listed in the OPC Manual to<br />
which trainees are expected to get exposure.<br />
25. Coach officers can have a critical influence on new members of the Service<br />
because they have daily contact with new officers and possess primary responsibility for<br />
ensuring trainees become competent in all performance areas within their first months<br />
of duty. Coach officers can enhance TPC and OPC training by walking their trainees<br />
through realistic crisis scenarios, ensuring new recruits are exposed to calls involving<br />
people in crisis, and debriefing the positive and negative actions and outcomes of every<br />
situation.<br />
26. However, because of the influence the coach officers hold over new members,<br />
some commentators have said that a coach officer who adopts the wrong approach can<br />
“undo six months of training in half an hour.” Coach officers hold the discretion to focus<br />
trainees’ attention on “hard skills” involving use of force and, if not properly educated<br />
themselves, can perpetuate negative stereotypes about people in crisis. <strong>In</strong> such cases,<br />
trainees could be given ineffective guidance on how to handle calls involving people in<br />
crisis, or deprived of information about available mental health resources that can assist<br />
them in effectively handling such calls. Given what is at stake, it is essential that TPS<br />
selects its coach officers from among a pool of candidates best suited to enhancing<br />
standardized training and instilling a progressive, respectful Service culture.<br />
27. The Review was advised that there is no formal mechanism for evaluating the<br />
effectiveness of coach officer training. As such, it is difficult to measure the real-world<br />
benefits of a program that appears carefully considered and well-intentioned on paper.<br />
C. Debriefing<br />
1. Standards and training<br />
28. The Ontario Policing Standards Manual requires that the TPS set out debriefing<br />
processes for teams involved in the following areas: containment, tactical, hostage<br />
rescue, major incident command, crisis negotiation, explosives, marine, canine, and<br />
public order. 26 However, there is no provincial requirement that primary response units<br />
debrief after incidents involving people in crisis, or that divisional supervisors conduct<br />
debriefings with officers following crisis situations.<br />
29. The Review heard that there is currently no systematic framework for debriefing<br />
incidents involving primary response officers and people in crisis. While there is the<br />
Critical <strong>In</strong>cident Response Team (CIRT) for more serious incidents (as discussed in<br />
Chapter 9 (The Mental Health of <strong>Police</strong> Personnel), the role of CIRT is focused primarily<br />
on helping officers with traumatic stress rather than debriefing learning points from the<br />
incident.<br />
26<br />
MCSCS, Policing, supra note 2, ER-001-ER-010, PO-001 “Emergency Response” and “Public Order Maintenance” (March 2010)<br />
at Appendix 1, 2-3.<br />
<strong>Police</strong> <strong>Encounters</strong> <strong>With</strong> <strong>People</strong> in <strong>Crisis</strong> |164