Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/742410
P PoLIcIng 16 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 www.vanguardcanada.com t rue, the US and Canada ap- pear to be similar but our challenges in policing and their causes remain distinctly different. In the aftermath of any negative incident involving the police, public sentiment drops and accusations fly in the wake of unanswered questions and diplomatic rhetoric from police brass. Bridging the communication gap Respecting due process, impartiality and examination of the facts prior to com- menting, police cannot and will not speak too many of the questions posed by the public and the media especially where an incident is under investigation. Obviously, this is when answers are most needed and the window of opportunity IgnorIng the weight of the badge by valarie Findlay The boiling anger in the United States over police use of force and charges of racism and racial bias can't help but spill over into Canada and its effect has been profound as we wrestle with our own issues. that would quell anger stays closed. Understandably the public is left exas- perated and demanding answers to square the circle. Policing organizations are silent but are well aware of the lack of trust and confidence expressed by the public. In the field, the rank and file show up for their shift and go about their job with an added weight to their duties. But as many recent headlines are jarring, can the public be so far off-centre and fail to recognize the commitment by those who police our communities? In the same context, can police be so detached from the public that they cannot empathize with the public's fears? Maybe the divide has less to do with empathy and more to do with what feels like a stalemate - no one knows how to fix it or where to start. Bridging the communications gap be- tween the public and police is difficult for many reasons but it must start with trust- building and honest dialogue before, not after, a serious incident. Truthfully, police explaining policing is tenuous at best - you can select the most articulate officer with most exemplary soft skills and a perceived bias will still emerge. It doesn't help that the inherent language of authority is load- ed with negative connotations and that the policing ethos encourages shouldering - not sharing - the weight. What results is an impervious barrier. Even if the communications were fluid, the public is unlikely to hear the truth: the horrors of policing, the struggle with stress and depression, the burden it has placed on their families and how their chosen ca- Safety, policing and public sentiment