Vanguard Magazine

18 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 www.vanguardcanada.com P PoLIcIng Instead, the report hones in on the sim- plification of the use of force model and adoption of a linear model (even though it is represented as a circle), rather than a continuum of options. This presents an issue. Linear models only work well with repeatable processes, such as event and se- lection-based actions, and do not account for complex human behaviours in conflict scenarios; in fact, they are rarely effective except in the instance of communicating to non-experts. a proactive approach A by-product of this simplification is the inference of subjective standards - canned, acceptable responses of the least or mini- mal amounts of force. If expert observa- tion and response capabilities of an officer are stifled, a conundrum of negotiation versus authority and liability for judgment and decisions made under stress, quickly emerge. The more proactive approach is objec- tive reasonableness that empowers and entrusts the officer's capabilities and judgement in the elastic dynamic of crisis management. Considering this, maybe the use-of-force model has seen its day and it's time to re- scope the entire approach and evolve to a crisis management model that includes a use of force component with other options around de-escalation and specialized skills support. Assessing and responding become cyclic and iterative, as the scenario can change at any time and risk mitigation becomes the driving force. When considering train- ing improvements, conceptualizing the many fixed factors (perceived mental state, physical capabilities, weapons or their pos- sible concealment, etc.) and fluid factors (emotional state, passive and active resis- tance, willingness to sustain an injury, etc.) is impossible. The formulation of responses ranging from strategic (diffusion and de-escala- tion) to tactical and defensive (less-than- lethal and counter force) must be agile and must respond to the factors related to capability, intent, means and opportunity. A person's intent (reaching for their pocket, verbalizations, body posture or ri- gidity, etc.) can be obvious or subtle but suppression, before they are acted out, is the goal in any case. For these reasons, the context of police training can't help but be flawed; there is no way counter mechanism to prepare for every encounter nor is there a means to temporarily disconnect human behaviours or physiological responses. On top of this, cumulative stress, multi- ple-trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder or other physical states, such as fatigue, have a tremendous impact. While train- ing scenarios are designed to mitigate some this by simplifying steps and actions for rapid enactment and enabling assess- ment that establishes control in the safest manner, the functional reality of human physiology remains: under pre-existing or situational stress humans lose the ability to The power of news headlines and social media is formidable and it will feed the negative percep- tion of police from hundreds of miles away. utilize certain capacities, such as fine mo- tor skills. the power of news headlines Clearly, there's an educational component to the much-needed communications strat- egy. Although most Canadians will have few interactions with police in their lifetime, it is confounding that while the majority of these interactions are not negative the growing sentiment towards police is. The power of news headlines and social media is formidable and it will feed the negative perception of police from hundreds of miles away. Because of this, the idea of "abuse of authority" and "excessive use of force" by police exists both objectively and subjec- tively with the public and must be dealt with as valid realities. As much as there is a policing dichotomy, there is also a di- chotomy to be reconciled by the public: a generational mythology and expectations of police contrasted by glaring media im- ages, all fuelled by the absence of commu- nication and information. Policing is not federated, with the ex- ception of the RCMP, for a reason and its centralization have failed over and over in history; it must be treated as a core service that establishes and maintains the quality of our communities. These communities have unique needs and they form multi- tudes of societies across our country and those needs cannot be met through bor- rowed best practices - best practices work at the procedural level not at the strategic or legislative. If we allow the public to ignore the nec- essary authoritarian role and realities of policing and the police organizations re- fuse to adopt innovative community and public communications, the divide will widen. The public will hold firm to their expec- tations, expressing anger and dismay when they are not met and frontline officers will continue to operate below capacity but to super-human expectations placed upon them. And the badge will only get heavier. valarie Findlay is a research fellow at the Police Foundation (USA) and an expert in cyber-security for policing, military and government departments. She holds a Masters in Terrorism Studies from the University of St. Andrews. She can be contacted at vfindlay@humanled.com Website: http://www.humanled.com

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