CPS report says officers used force to de-escalate at average levels

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Calgary cops in 2023 used power to de-escalate probably lethal conditions extra typically than the earlier yr — an indication police are utilizing discretion in tense eventualities, says one native criminologist.

Officers are additionally more and more counting on carried out power weapons reminiscent of Tasers to de-escalate incidents, although they’re largely deployed as a warning, based on the CPS’ annual report back to the Calgary police fee on de-escalation and use of power.

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General, there have been 901 use-of-force incidents throughout the police service final yr — 28 greater than 2022 ranges however under the variety of incidents recorded earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The rise in sure strategies of power correlates with traits on the entrance line — extra officer-public interactions, extra weapons current in crime, and better quantity and severity of violent crime,” reads the report, authored by analyst Alexandra Hrk.

The 2023 numbers quantity to at least one in 1,644 incidents leading to power getting used. Calgary officers made 579,998 public contacts final yr, based on the report — about 15,600 greater than 2022 however almost 65,000 fewer than 2019, the latest pre-pandemic yr.

Doug King, a criminologist at Mount Royal College, stated CPS’ use of power elevated solely modestly, which he stated reveals police have been correctly skilled to deal with conditions with out utilizing power to de-escalate a state of affairs.

“It’s worse this yr than it was final yr, however it’s not worse by a lot,” King stated. “We’re speaking actually 28 extra incidents within the metropolis of 1.3 million folks.”

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‘The nice factor is that they’re not capturing folks’: criminologist

Calgary officers are additionally switching their strategies in tense conditions, the info present. Their use of carried out power weapons reminiscent of Tasers elevated 41 per cent in 2023 in comparison with the five-year common — however almost half of these deployments had been used as a warning methodology.

Dynamic takedowns additionally elevated 50 per cent above the common, utilized in 367 incidents. In the meantime, police service canine contacts dropped to 49 makes use of, 27 per cent under the five-year common.

Police pointed their firearm in a state of affairs 32 occasions final yr, above the five-year common of 21 — they usually had been fired on 5 events, just one incident larger than the five-year common.

“The nice factor is that they’re not capturing folks, and that’s the final word use of power,” King stated.

Calgary police in 2018 obtained a assessment of its use-of-force practices after a big elevation in officer-involved shootings in 2016.

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Report follows 30-hour Penbrooke standoff

The report comes on the heels of a 30-hour armed standoff on March 16 within the east Calgary neighbourhood of Penbrooke that resulted within the suspect being killed by police.

The incident will likely be investigated by the Alberta Critical Incident Response Group, which is able to seemingly take a number of months to a yr to finish.

The officers’ choice to shoot the suspect, who fired greater than 100 rounds through the standoff, will come out in ASIRT’s investigation, King stated, including he felt police waited an acceptable period of time regardless of calls to behave sooner.

“One thing occurred that precipitated the person being shot and killed. I feel we want ASIRT to have the ability to inform us about what that was,” King stated.

mscace@postmedia.com
X: @mattscace67

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