BL - November December 2024

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024

COVER STORY

The rise of firearms in Canada A conversation with Hamilton Police Service p.8

BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES

HOLDING THE LINE

Recognizing the signs of problem gambling p. 22

Looking through the lens of a first responder in need p. 27

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Contents

8 November/December 2024 Columns Volume 36 Number 6

4 12 14 22 27 30

Features

Departments

COVER STORY

8

Editor’s Commentary Case Law Technology Behavioural Sciences Holding the Line Back of the Book

5 5 6 6 29

The rise of firearms in Canada

A conversation with Hamilton Police Service. By Brittani Schroeder.

10 Bullet evidence

News By the numbers Dispatches Calendar Marketplace

The science of bullet forensics on trial. By Dave Brown.

16 The VPD-Nijmegen Contingent

A mission to honour Canadian police officers who served as soldiers. By Brittani Schroeder.

20 Transforming board dynamics

Six steps for police chiefs to consider. By Neil Dubord and Mimi Moore.

24 Public Private Partnerships

COVER PHOTO: FRESHIDEA / ADOBE STOCK

Project Protect and the War on Human Trafficking in Canada.

By Paula Labao and Cameron Field.

10 @Blue_LineMag

16 24 November/December 2024 | BLUE LINE

3

EDITOR’S COMMENTARY

BY BRITTANI SCHROEDER

www.BlueLine.ca

Celebrating Canadian policing on the global stage

F

all 2024 was quite a busy season ing Chief Myron Demkiw, and TPS’ Ivy for the Blue Line team. We introNanayakkara and Lanie Schachter-Snipper, duced our inaugural digital trainalongside Scott Maxwell of Wounded Waring week, bringing exciting trainriors Canada; and wellness strategies across ing content to your inboxes in Canadian police services, a presentation by mid-September. We hosted our fourth anJodi Dawson and Mike Lockingtion of Peel nual virtual symposium at the beginning of Regional Police, Jonathan Foster of WindOctober, where we focused on policing in sor Regional Hospital, Jennifer Crosby of a digital age, with panels discussing artifiWindsor Police Service, and David McKencial intelligence and body-worn zie, Kassandra Poul, and Frank cameras. We also hosted our third It was an Miscione of Hamilton Police Career Expo of the year, this time in honour to see Service.

Edmonton, with a record number Canadian It was an honour to see Canof 77 exhibitors and over 500 people policing take adian policing take control of the at the event. In November, Blue control of the spotlight on the international Line, alongside Canadian Security spotlight on stage. It was clear that the and Fire Fighting In Canada, pre- the well-being of Canadian officers sented a new webinar on parade international is of the utmost importance, and security that examined the tragic stage. that will continue to be a focus case of the Super Bowl LVIII parade for agencies across our country. in Kansas City, Mo, in Feb. 2024, and disAs we watch 2024 fade into the rearview cussed how first responders and security mirror and see 2025 on the road ahead of us, agencies could work together to protect I hope that myself and Blue Line have been mass gatherings. able to share valuable information with you I also had the opportunity to attend the over the last year and that you’ve been able International Association of Chiefs of Poto take it back to your services and your lice (IACP) annual conference and expo in community. I can’t wait to see what comes Boston, MA, U.S.A., in October with Blue next—whether it is further investigation Line’s national account manager, Janice into how AI and policing can work together, Eaton. Sessions focused on several themes, a growth of evidence-based policing at such as policing and community engageagencies across the country, or something ment, officer wellness and safety, mental entirely new that’s just now appearing on health and crisis response, technology and the horizon. innovation in policing, crime prevention As always, I encourage you to reach out to and response, training and development, me if there’s a topic you believe deserves data and analytics, cultural and ethical attention, a new initiative your police serconsiderations, public health and safety, vice has launched, or an officer you think and legal and administrative issues. should be featured. Your input is invaluable Of course, I had a keen interest in the in helping us cover the issues that matter Canadian-focused sessions. These includmost to the law enforcement community. ed a session on Canadian women in policing You can contact me at bschroeder@ and their experiences by Deputy Chief annexbusinessmedia.com.

Treena MacSween of the London Police Until next year, happy reading, happy Service, with research conducted by Durholidays and be well. ham Regional Police Service, Dr. Vidal Chavannes, Dr. Amanda-Couture-Carron and Dr. Shahid Alvi; the Toronto Police Service’s (TPS) well-being program, featur-

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BLUE LINE | November/December 2024

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Reader Service Print and digital subscription inquiries or changes, please contact customer service Angelita Potal Tel: 416-510-5113 Fax: (416) 510-6875 email: apotal@annexbusinessmedia.com Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400 Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 GROUP PUBLISHER | PAUL GROSSINGER pgrossinger@annexbusinessmedia.com PUBLISHER | ADAM SZPAKOWSKI aszpakowski@annexbusinessmedia.com EDITOR | BRITTANI SCHROEDER bschroeder@annexbusinessmedia.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR PUBLIC SAFETY GROUP | LAURA AIKEN laiken@annexbusinessmedia.com ACCOUNT MANAGER | JANICE EATON jeaton@annexbusinessmedia.com MEDIA DESIGNER | LISA ZAMBRI lzambri@annexbusinessmedia.com ACCOUNT COORDINATOR | KATHRYN NYENHUIS knyenhuis@annexbusinessmedia.com AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER BEATA OLECHNOWICZ | (416) 510-5182 bolechnowicz@annexbusinessmedia.com CEO | SCOTT JAMIESON sjamieson@annexbusinessmedia.com ANNEX BUSINESS MEDIA 111 Gordon Baker Road, Suite 400 Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 Tel. 416-442-5600 • Fax 416-442-2191 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40065710 ISSN 0847-8538 Printed in Canada SUBSCRIPTION RATES Canada — 1 Year $32.13; 2 Year $53.55 plus tax USA — 1 Year $139.23 CAD Occasionally, Blue Line will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above.

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NEWS

PHOTO CREDIT: GUELPH POLICE SERVICE

PHOTO CREDIT: BRITTANI SCHROEDER

violence.

The CRV is a Ford-based Gurkha LAPV, built by Newmarket-based Terradyne Armoured Vehicles. The vehicle was purchased from the Waterloo Regional Police Service for the cost of $20,000.

Guelph Police Chief Gord Cobey said, “Calls involving firearms are unfortunately becoming more commonplace, and as a police service we have an obligation to protect the community as well as our members. The community rescue vehicle will provide an elevated level of safety. On those occasions when it’s required, the CRV will be an invaluable resource to citizens and members.”

MASSACHUSETTS

Blue Line attends IACP 2024 in Boston

From Oct. 19 to 22, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) held its annual Conference and Expo at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

Blue Line’s Brittani Schroeder and Janice Eaton joined over 16,000 attendees for four days of learning from subject matter experts on various topics. Sessions focused on several themes, including policing and community engagement, officer wellness and safety, mental health and crisis response, technology and innovation, training, data and analytics, and cultural and ethical considerations.

The expo featured over 650 vendors, including Canadian companies like D & R Electronics, Geotab, Genetec, Magnet Forensics, Mobile Innovations, Niche Technology and Outdoor Outfits.

Also at this year’s event, four Canadian officers were recognized for their excellent service in the IACP’s 40 Under 40 award. This year’s winners included: • S/Sgt. Derek Donner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police • John Gravengard, Vancouver Police Department • A/S/Sgt. Gary Koonar, Delta Police Department • S/Sgt. Alicia McCracken, Ontario Provincial Police

PHOTO CREDIT: KEVIN BERNARDIN

The IACP’s 2025 Conference and Expo will be held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO, U.S.A., from Oct. 18 to 21.

ONTARIO

Community Rescue Vehicle enhances public and officer safety

The Guelph Police Service has introduced a specialized vehicle to increase public and officer safety. The community rescue vehicle (CRV) will be utilized exclusively by Tactics and Rescue Unit officers responding to situations involving significant risk. High-risk situations include those where there is a reasonable expectation of encountering an active shooter, armed resistance or significant

QUEBEC

SPVM and Nunavik Police Service trial deployment of joint patrol in Montréal

The City of Montreal Police Department (SPVM) and Nunavik Police Service (NPS) initiated joint police patrol activities in Montreal. This operation paired SPVM and NPS police officers, and its objective was to strengthen the sense of safety and security of the Inuit community who live in or visit Montreal. This initiative is a first for both services.

Through this initiative, the two police forces encouraged dialogue, reassured the Inuit residents, and encouraged victims and witnesses to report any situation that compromises their safety or that of others.

BY THE NUMBERS In July 2024, Statistics Canada released recent data on police-reported crime in Canada, 2023. For more information, please visit www150.statcan.gc.ca.

4,777

The number of police-reported hate crimes rose by 32 per cent.

@Blue_LineMag

31 % The proportion of women who were killed by their partner was approx. five times higher than the proportion of men (31 per cent versus six per cent).

778

2%

In 2023, there were 778 victims of homicide, 104 fewer than in 2022.

The volume and severity of crime, as measured by the Crime Severity Index, increased for the third consecutive year, up 2 per cent in 2023.

November/December 2024 | BLUE LINE

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NEWS DISPATCHES The Greater Sudbury Police Service Board announced that Sara Cunningham was selected as the next chief. “Cunningham’s 26 years with the Service has made her well-equipped to assume this position. She has served with pride, distinction and excellence, and brings vast experience to the role,” said Chair Al Sizer.

Dale Ruzycki was appointed the new chief of police for the CPKC Police Service. Ruzycki was previously the Deputy Chief of CPKC’s police operations in Canada and has been with CPKC for seven years. He has held a variety of senior leadership positions and has over 32 years of policing experience.

The Belleville Police Service Board selected veteran Chief Murray Rodd as its newest chief. Rodd served a 35-year career with Peterborough Police Service, including a decade as the chief. He also served 21 years of Reserve Military Service, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and commanding Canada’s largest Cadet Summer Training Centre.

The Aylmer Police Service Board accepted the retirement of Chief Zvonko Horvat, effective Jan. 31, 2025. Horvat set a high standard of excellence in law enforcement during his time with the Aylmer Police Service.

The Aylmer Police Service Board announced that Deputy Chief Kyle Johnstone, will be appointed as Chief of the Aylmer Police Service effective Feb. 1, 2025. The board is confident that the department will continue to excel in serving the community under Johnstone’s leadership.

After more than 40 years in policing, Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord has retired. Dubord started his policing career in Edmonton, serving for 25 years with the Edmonton Police Service. In 2012, he became Chief of the

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BLUE LINE | November/December 2024

CALENDAR Transit Police in the Lower Mainland in B.C. In June 2015, Dubord assumed the role of Chief of the Delta Police Department.

Belleville Police Service’s Sheri Meeks was appointed deputy chief. Meeks has spent 28 years with Belleville Police in various assignments, including Acting Deputy Chief. She continues to serve on numerous community committees and has extensive community engagement.

The Kingston Police Services Board appointed Matt Funnell as the new deputy chief.

Funnell has been a serving member of the Kingston Police since 2001. Prior to his appointment as deputy chief, he served as the inspector of the investigative services division, and prior to that the inspector of the operation support division. Funnell began his policing career in Aug. 1996 with the Carleton Place Police Service, where for five years he performed regular patrol and generalized policing duties. In May 2001, he joined Kingston Police.

The Kingston Police Service Board appointed Scott Gee as Deputy Chief of the Kingston Police, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

With over two decades of dedicated service in law enforcement, including time as chief of the Gananoque Police Service, Gee brings a wealth of experience and leadership to his new role. His appointment is expected to further enhance the operational capacity and strategic initiatives of the Kingston Police.

The Sarnia Police Service Board appointed Michael Van Sickle as the new Deputy Chief for the Sarnia Police Service. Prior to this appointment, Van Sickle successfully commanded the Operations Division, overseeing the Patrol Branch, Communications, and Records. As a member of the senior leadership team, he has managed critical areas such as recruiting, professional standards, human resources, and property and evidence.

2024 Barrie Police Chief’s Gala Date: Nov. 22, 2024 Location: Barrie, Ont. barriepolice.ca/chiefsgala Toronto Police Chief’s Gala 2024 Date: Nov. 28, 2024 Location: Toronto, Ont. chiefsgala.com CACP Human Trafficking National Symposium Date: Dec. 1 – 3, 2024 Location: Vancouver, B.C. cacp.ca Find more calendar events online at blueline.ca/events.

After serving as Durham Regional Police Service’s deputy chief since 2018, Dean Bertrim has given notice of his retirement. His last day will be Jan. 31, 2025. During his deputy chief tenure, he held leadership positions across the entire policing spectrum, from patrol, to investigative teams, to operational support units across Durham Region.

Sault Ste. Marie Police Service was saddened to share the news that former Chief Robert “Bob” McEwen passed away in late September. McEwen served as chief from 1978 until 1987. After his retirement, he was hired with the Ontario Police Commission and travelled across Ontario in an advisory capacity to other police services.

When duty called, he returned as chief from 1995-96.

Sarnia Police Service is mourning the passing of Det. Cst. Jeff Rovers after a battle with cancer. Rovers began his career with the Chatham Kent Police Service in 1995 and joined the Sarnia Police Service in 2000, where he served for 24 years. Rovers was an unforgettable member of the community and service.

PROMOTIONS, RETIREMENTS, RECOGNITION • If you have an officer in your agency recently promoted or retiring or an individual you wish to have recognized (major award or recently deceased) you can let Blue Line magazine know by emailing: bschroeder@annexbusinessmedia.com.

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COVER STORY

The rise of firearms in Canada

I

n recent years, Canada has witnessed a troubling increase in firearm-related incidents, prompting concerns among law enforcement agencies. S/Sgt. Steve Bereziuk and Supt. Marty Schulenberg recently shared the Hamilton Police Service perspective on this escalating crisis, shedding light on the mounting pressures faced by officers in the line of duty and the greater Canadian public.

Q: Can you tell me about the current state of the firearms issue in Hamilton?

This year to date, the city of Hamilton has experienced the highest rate of shootings we have ever seen.

The situation is alarming, and gun crime appears to be a foregone tool

of the trade for many of our prolific known offenders as they ply their trade of illicit trafficking in drugs, goods, people and firearms. We are seeing firearms recovered from a wide demographic of offenders, which includes youth and unhoused persons. Many offenders are already known to police and have lengthy histories of involvement in the criminal justice system.

Access to firearms appears to be uninhibited by the controls we have traditionally relied upon to keep lethal weapons out of the hands of violent offenders. The vast majority of crime guns are imported and/or stolen, and many have been modified with aftermarket devices to enable fully automatic fire from high-capacity magazines.

This is a complex situation, and

EDITOR’S NOTE: TRAFFIC STOPS AND FIREARM SEIZURES A GROWING ISSUE The increase of firearm seizures during traffic stops is not unique to Hamilton.

Unfortunately, many of Canada’s police organizations have seen similar increases.

For example, recent statistics in Ontario’s Durham Region paint a clear picture: the incidence of firearms discovered by Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) during routine traffic stops, suspicious person/vehicle calls or motor vehicle collisions in 2024 has increased 100 per cent over 2023. From Jan. 1, 2024, to Oct. 31, 2024, DRPS seized 20 firearms during various situations.

“These instances reflect an increase in firearm-related incidents we’re encountering on duty,” said Duty Inspector Rob Williamson of DRPS. “In some cases, individuals who are arrested with firearms may be released and subsequently re-arrested, sometimes without prior notification to the initial service involved. Just recently, a young offender was arrested with a firearm, released, and then rearrested days later for an armed robbery without any prior notification to the initial service involved. This highlights the complex challenges of balancing community safety with current release practices.”

It’s a growing concern that demands attention at multiple levels. The next generation of officers conducting vehicle stops and facing these risks firsthand. Without meaningful change to address these issues, their safety—and the safety of every community member they protect—will remain increasingly at risk. It’s time to take a hard look at how we can limit these dangers and build a safer future for those who will wear the uniform.

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BLUE LINE | November/December 2024

289 victims of homicide in Canada in 2023 were killed via a firearm. This number is a decrease from 2022, in which a firearm killed 343 victims.

– Courtesy of Statistics Canada

there is no simple answer as to why Hamilton has experienced such a sharp increase in gun violence. As of Oct. 31, 2024, there have been 56 shootings in the city compared to 22 shootings during the same period last year. This represents a 154 per cent increase.

We continue to see drugs involved, either directly or indirectly, when investigating shooting incidents. This year, our city has experienced five incidents where simple arguments or “beefs” escalated into shootouts, each involving at least two individuals exchanging gunfire.

Alarmingly, four of these shootouts occurred during daylight hours, putting numerous bystanders at risk in nearby public spaces.

Some facts from 2024 up to Oct. 31, at a quick glance, are: • 238 Crime Guns, compared to 123 at the same time last year, which represents a 93 per cent increase in seized firearms.

• Six youths accused of using firearms • 56 shootings, compared to 22 in 2023 www.BlueLine.ca

PHOTO: CREDIT: HAMILTON POLICE SERVICE

A conversation with Hamilton Police Service By Brittani Schroeder

Q: There has been a significant increase in firearm seizures during traffic stops in Canada this year. Has HPS experienced a rise in this area as well?

To date, Hamilton Police have seized 13 firearms in traffic-related incidents. This has already exceeded the nine seized in traffic stops in 2023. Finding a gun during a traffic stop used to be an anomaly, now we are seeing this happen regularly.

Q: Can you tell me about the increase in firearm-related calls your team has attended to?

There has been a dramatic increase in firearm-related calls for service. In 2023, the HPS responded to 58 firearm-related incidents; however, we have already seen 152 such calls this year. This significant rise is alarming and should be a severe concern for the public and all levels of government. @Blue_LineMag

Q: In the calls you’ve responded to and the firearms you’ve seized, what is the ratio of legally obtained firearms to illegally obtained?

In most cases, the firearms used in criminal offences are illegal, with handguns being the most common. Nearly 89 per cent of these crime guns are imported illegally from the United States.

This year, there have been two cases where legal firearm owners had their weapons seized and were charged with the applicable offences after they failed to report a lost or stolen firearm that found its way into criminal hands.

In addition, our Guns and Gangs team seized a 3D printer from a lawful gun owner who was using his printer to manufacture illegal 3D firearms.

What are HPS’s concerns around seeing this increase in firearms in Hamilton?

HPS is concerned about public safety and our members’ safety as they respond to everything from violent offences to routine traffic infractions. The risk of innocent and uninvolved victims escalates with every brazen shooting that occurs in densely populated areas. There is a seeming indifference to the current criminal systems and sanctions that we rely upon to deter this level of violence in our community.

Too often, Hamilton Police are faced with hesitant or uncooperative witnesses. In recent cases, we have been frustrated by after-hours entertainment and food establishments enabling disorder by failing to take active steps to keep their patrons safe. We also know that encouraging victims and witnesses to report what they’ve seen and know is complicated when there is a fear of retribution.

Community support and public indignation are required

to make gun crime unacceptable here in Hamilton. This isn’t just a police issue. Combating a rise in gun violence requires a multifaceted approach. Strengthening community-based interventions, such as youth programs and mental health support, can address root causes. Collaboration between police, community leaders and social services can foster trust, making it easier to prevent violence before it occurs.

The rise in shootings has also impacted staffing, recently necessitating the creation of a full-time unit dedicated to these investigations. The Shooting Response Team is comprised of reallocated officers from within the service, mandated to investigate all non-fatal shootings within the city. This dedicated unit allows members to focus solely on shootings and not be pulled away for other serious crimes such as robberies, assaults and home invasions.

It is also concerning that the average age of shooters has been in the early to mid-20s, with six youths accused of using handguns. This trend suggests a troubling ease of access to firearms for young individuals involved in criminal activity. Investigations also reveal that some criminals are turning down certain weapons, recognizing the difficulty in sourcing ammunition. Instead, they seek 9mm and .22 calibre firearms, as ammunition for these appears more readily available.

Many shootings this year have displayed a complete disregard for public safety, with firearms discharged indiscriminately at targets and often missing, resulting in two innocent bystanders being shot. Criminals seem increasingly emboldened, showing less fear of repercussions for gun possession. This confidence is evident in their frequent and open use of firearms, both in public and on their cell phones.

November/December 2024 | BLUE LINE

9

Bullet evidence The science of bullet forensics on trial By Dave Brown

I

am not a ballistics expert and don’t play one on television. (Except for that one time, but only because I fit the costume.)

As professional firearms instructors, we don’t pretend to know how forensics examiners do their jobs. We know that crime scene investigators don’t drive around in Hummers or get DNA results in seconds, complete with name, photo, last known address, and list of all their accomplices. Unlike television, they can’t access any database in the world with a few keyboard strokes, and they certainly don’t solve every crime in 42 minutes to leave time for commercials.

What we do know is that we can use what is often called ballistic forensics to match a bullet to a suspect firearm.

But now that science is being called into question. Some have suggested that it is more correctly termed “junk science.”

We always knew it was never a perfect science. We knew that not every bullet could be traced to a specific firearm. Microscopic tool marks left behind on a fired bullet as it travels down the barrel were never really seen as “a firearm’s DNA,” as some have termed it. Bullets fired into non-homogenous substances such as the human body can impact muscle, bone, clothing, and internal objects, all of which can deform the bullet, making identification difficult.

We knew that—our trust in television aside—not every bullet can be traced to a specific firearm. For example, some rifles, such as a particular Canadian law enforcement agency’s 10

patrol carbine, are manufactured with hammer-forged barrels that do not machine the rifling grooves in a barrel in the traditional way. Instead, they use a hardened die inserted into a barrel blank that is pounded by tens of thousands of powerful hydraulic hammer blows to form and shape the barrel to exact dimensions. This process may make it difficult to come to a conclusive decision about the precise firearm a bullet was fired from Other firearms manufacturers that use non-traditional rifling may not leave enough marks on the bullet that can be matched to a specific barrel even if recovered fully intact.

Those of us old enough to remember always laughed at the old television gag where the detective would pick up a handgun at a murder scene by sticking a pencil down the barrel to preserve the fingerprints.

“Never do that! It can destroy ballistic evidence,” we would caution our students.

BLUE LINE | November/December 2024

But wait a minute. If ballistic evidence is so exact that one can match a bullet recovered from a crime scene to a suspect firearm with certainty, how can the simple act of sticking a pencil down the barrel or the suspect cleaning the barrel after committing a crime, destroy that same evidence?

Courts and some firearms experts are questioning how ‘exact’ the science is behind bullet comparisons. In the U.S., the Supreme Court of Maryland recently ruled that ballistics evidence is not supported by science in two separate rulings that may call into question how ballistics are used in court cases nationwide. One case was the trial of two Washington D.C. murderers John Muhammad and Lee Malvo, and the second was the case of Kobina Ebo Abruquah, who was found guilty of second-degree murder based almost exclusively on testimony from a forensics firearms examiner that the bullets recovered from the victim’s body were

fired from Abruquah’s gun.

In a majority ruling of the Maryland Supreme Court, they stated that the conclusion reached by the state’s expert in the Abruquah case is “more definitive than can be supported by the record.”

A 2009 report by the National Academies of Science first called into question how ‘exact’ the science was and how there were few—if any—scientific, doubleblind research studies to back up the claims made by examiners in court. The report pointed out that, unlike fingerprints, bullet examination protocols don’t specify how many points of similarity are needed to form a conclusive opinion.

A 2016 report to the U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) concluded that firearms analysis did not meet the criteria for scientific validity, which requires repeatability and reproducibility.

In another widely quoted research paper from 2022, the Ames II Study, 173 firearms examiners compared thousands of fired cartridge cases and bullets. The overall rate of errors and false positives in the study was considered to be under one per cent.

Critics of the Ames II Study point out that the three categories the examiners used, “Identified,” “Eliminated” or “Inconsistent,” skewed the result numbers substantially. Being able to answer “inconclusive” and still be scored as perfect meant error rates of under one per cent were, in fact, closer to 30 to 40 per cent. Critics also pointed out that examiners disagreed on a number of matches made by their own colleagues, and even the same examiner reached different conclusions when given the same test batch twice. Critics considered that the large number of “inconclusive” results was like answering every mulwww.BlueLine.ca

PHOTO CREDIT: ALEKSANDARGEORGIEV / GETTY

FIREARMS

tiple-choice question on a test with “I don’t know” and still scoring perfectly.

So far, courts in Canada have continued to consider firearms identification evidence as scientifically sound. As the Maryland Supreme Court explained, firearms identification is based on the premise that no two guns will make identical marks on a bullet or cartridge case. The unique marks are said to be the result of a manufacturing process that involves the cutting and drilling of the rifling grooves, as well as grinding, filing and polishing of the action parts and the barrel.

But what about new methods of manufacturing that may not leave characteristic marks as unique as fingerprints? Some people feel the existing body of research has been insufficient to prove the scientific princi-

ples of reproducibility and re- hard to discount something peatability. Examiners in- purported to be an ‘exact scidependently examining bullets ence,’ which is strange when so from an unknown source, pro- many citizens still believe the vided by researchers with no world is flat or that every crime prior knowledge of the actual can be solved in 42 minutes by matches, must be able to iden- typing away on a computer. tify and include or There is no quesexclude bullets that There is no tion that further rematch the findings search is needed. of their colleagues, question Legitimate profesplus match their that further sional organizations own findings no that self-certify and matter how many research is self-govern their times they examine needed. membership also the same batch of accept and welcome samples. new research. Few Even error rates of one per firearms examiners become excent can result in false negatives, pert witnesses in a courtroom where criminals go free, or false by joining an organization of positives, where innocent fellow firearms examiners and people can get convicted. watching the movie, “My Cousin Thankfully, ballistic evidence in Vinny” the night before a big Canada is only one contributor case. to the evidentiary system. Still, The role of an expert witness juries in the U.S. have found it in Canadian courtrooms has

been incredibly well-defined.

Their role is to help the court.

Based on previous training, knowledge and experience, they offer an opinion about a case in which they have no personal connection. In my experience, courts in Canada are less likely to recognize expert witnesses who make their living testifying for whatever side pays them the most.

For the most part, firearms examiners in Canada have been highly professional and reliable.

But that may be changing. Perhaps being accurate more than 99 percent of the time just might not be good enough for courts in the future. The jury is still out.

Dave Brown is a contributor on firearms and police vehicles. He is a retired tactical firearms trainer and consultant based in Winnipeg. Reach him at dave@bulletproofset.ca.

CASE LAW

BY MIKE NOVAKOWSKI

Unauthorized retention of seized items amounts to a s. 8 Charter breach

A

n audio recording of a murder was excluded as evidence – accompanied by the not guilty verdict that followed – because the police deliberately failed to comply with their Criminal Code retention obligations for seized items.

In R. v. Gill, 2024 BCCA 63, a minor collision occurred between two vehicles in April 2011. Following the incident, the driver of one vehicle was shot and killed when he confronted the other driver. A passenger – the deceased’s wife – was also shot at, but was not struck by gunfire. About two and a half weeks later, in May 2011, the police obtained a warrant to search the home of the accused – Samandeep Gill. After executing the warrant and seizing several cellphones and an SVAT home security device, the police complied with the initial reporting to a justice provisions by completing a Form 5.2. This authorized the detention of the seized items for three months (until Aug. 2011), but no further extension was sought after this period had expired.

The investigation went cold, and in 2016,

“The significance of state authorities interfering with and displacing the responsibility of the courts cannot be overemphasized.” the file was transferred from the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) to the Unsolved Homicide Unit. In Jan. 2018, a without-notice application was made to authorize further detention of the seized property, including the cellphones and SVAT device, and a two-year extension was granted. In Feb. 2018, the police obtained an order to examine one of the cellphones where they found it contained an audio recording of the shooting, capturing the voices of two men (one identified as Gill by a family member), a woman screaming and the sounds of several gunshots. The Crown theorized that Gill had two cellphones with him at the time of the shooting, and one pocket dialled the other, resulting in the recording. Gill was subsequently charged 12

BLUE LINE | November/December 2024

with second degree murder and attempted murder.

During a voir dire in B.C. Supreme Court, the trial judge found, among other things, that the police did not comply with s. 490 of the Criminal Code (further extension of detention), and the retention of the cellphones and the SVAT device breached s. 8 of the Charter. Next, the trial judge had to determine whether the evidence – including the audio recording of the murder found on the cellphone – ought to be excluded under s. 24(2).

In ruling the evidence inadmissible, the trial judge ruled that non-compliance with the extension requirements for retaining the seized items (over-holding) was deliberate because of the following: • Since 2007, IHIT had been directed by senior management not to seek extensions of detention orders once the initial three-month authorization had expired.

• In 2007, a senior Justice of the Peace advised IHIT that there was virtually no compliance with 5.2 extensions for seized items.

• In 2007, two senior Crown Counsel and RCMP counsel advised the Criminal Code reporting provisions couldn’t be ignored.

• In 2014, a new direction was provided to IHIT officers, requiring them to seek s.

490 extensions that had or were about to expire and in which the things seized were still needed to be detained. Despite this direction, an extension was not sought in this case until 2018 – more than six years after the initial 5.2 had expired.

In excluding the evidence, the trial judge said: There is something particularly concerning about a police policy of deliberate non-compliance with mandated requirements due to the unilateral prioritization of their preferred investigative methods over following the law. In doing so, they undermined the supervisory role of the court in the state’s detention of seized items. The significance of state authorities interfering with and displacing the responsibility of the courts cannot be overemphasized.

The fact that the police in this case sought and received legal advice that explicitly deemed compliance mandatory makes these actions more egregious. While a decision to exclude the

evidence might cause certain public outcry and clear disappointment to those most interested in the case being decided on its merits, I must consider the long-term public perception related to the perceived endorsement of unlawful police activities. To tacitly condone such egregious, institutional, systemic behaviour in disregard of legislative provisions and Charter interests by a premier homicide investigation unit would have serious implications for the rule of law that I cannot abide.

After the evidence was excluded, the Crown called no evidence, and Gill was found not guilty of the charges.

The Crown appealed the trial judge’s inadmissibility ruling to a three-judge panel of B.C.’s top court. Although the Crown conceded the apparently deliberate breach of the law by police officers in this case was egregious, it argued the trial judge erred in excluding the evidence because the police did not conduct inspections of the phones or SVAT device during the unauthorized retention period between the expiration of the initial three-month detention order (Aug. 2011) and when an extension for detention was sought (Jan. 2018).

The Court of Appeal, however, rejected Crown’s contention. “Case law makes it clear that the retention of seized items, even without further examination of them, can constitute a violation of s. 8 of the Charter,” said the Appeal Court.

So, even though Gill’s privacy interests were mitigated because the police did not access data during the period when the detention was unauthorized, the Appeal Court found there was no ongoing judicial supervision of the seizure, and the unauthorized continued detention of the devices amounted to serious incursions on Gill’s residual privacy interests. The Court of Appeal found the trial judge did not err in his s. 24(2) analysis, and it would not interfere with his “discretionary decision to exclude evidence, even in the face of extremely serious offences that had tragic human consequences.”

The Crown’s appeal was dismissed.

Mike Novakowski is Blue Line’s case law columnist.

www.BlueLine.ca

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November/December 2024 | BLUE LINE

13

TECHNOLOGY

BY JASON TYRE

How UAVs are revolutionizing Canadian law enforcement operations

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BLUE LINE | November/December 2024

within the VMS, police agencies can automate the detection of critical events and anomalies, proactively alerting operators to potential threats or persons of interest.

For example, real-time video analysis can help identify suspicious behaviour in crowds, detect abandoned objects, or track the movements of specific vehicles or individuals. By integrating these analytics with UAV video, law enforcement can gain unique situational awareness, allowing them to intervene proactively and prevent incidents before they escalate.

As Canadian law enforcement continues to embrace UAVs and an open platform VMS, it is crucial to establish clear policies and standard operating procedures governing their use. Agencies must prioritize transparency, accountability, and community engagement to foster public trust and mitigate privacy and civil liberties concerns. Rigorous training programs for UAV operators and strict data management protocols are essential to ensure the responsible and ethical deployment of these powerful tools. By engaging proactively with stakeholders and communicating the benefits and safeguards of UAV technology, law enforcement can build support for their innovative approaches to public safety.

The future of tech-enabled policing

Looking ahead, the integration of UAVs and video technology software promises to reshape proactive policing strategies. By harnessing real-time analytics and artificial intelligence, agencies can identify patterns, increase situational awareness, and deploy resources more efficiently.

As these technologies continue to mature, they will undoubtedly become indispensable assets in the pursuit of public safety, enabling agencies to stay one step ahead in an ever-changing safety and security landscape.

For a full list of refrences, please vist www.blueline. ca/how-uavs-are-revolutionizing-canadian-law-enforcement-operations.

Jason Tyre served with the Phoenix Police Department for more than 18 years.

www.BlueLine.ca

PHOTO: CREDIT: © GOCE RISTESKI / ADOBE STOCK

U

AVs, commonly known as cident reconstruction, UAVs are proving to drones, are changing how Can- be versatile tools that enhance situational adian law enforcement agencies awareness and operational efficiency. operate. Far beyond passive monitoring tools, these technologies are Unifying UAV video being deployed for many critical tasks. The As the use of UAVs becomes more prevaaerial perspective drones provide can be lent, however, Canadian law enforcement invaluable in time-sensitive situations, agencies face new challenges in managing helping responders prioritize their efforts the deluge of video data generated by these platforms. Traditional, siloed approaches and navigate challenging terrain.

During crime scene investigations, aerial to video management often lead to ineffivideo data from drones offers a new dimen- ciencies and hinder real-time collaborasion of insight. High-resolution video cap- tion. Disparate systems and formats can tured from above can reveal critical details create barriers to information sharing, and patterns that may be difficult to discern both within agencies and between jurisdicfrom the ground. This bird’s-eye view al- tions. To unlock the full potential of UAVs, lows investigators to better understand the it’s crucial to integrate their video feeds spatial relationships between evidence, into open-platform video technology softwitnesses and suspects, aiding in recon- ware.

By unifying UAV video with structing complex events. By other data sources in centralproviding comprehensive docu- Across the ized, open-platform video mentation of crime scenes, UAVs country, management software (VMS), are helping to uncover evidence agencies are finding agencies can create a common and build more robust cases. innovative operating picture that enhances ways to The rise of UAVs in situational awareness and enleverage drone ables faster, more informed deCanadian policing Across Canada, forward-think- technology. cision-making. An open-plating police departments are form VMS would bring flexibility leading the charge in UAV adopand interoperability, which tion. According to AirMed&Rescue1, the would allow for seamless integration with Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) a wide range of sensors and systems in Saskatchewan has significantly ex- through open APIs. This means that drone panded its drone fleet, making UAVs stan- video could be effortlessly combined with dard issue across all 82 divisions. This feeds from fixed cameras, body-worn camambitious project, initiated in early 2023, eras and other sources, providing a comaims to enhance the RCMP’s capabilities in prehensive view of any situation. areas such as accident reconstruction and With real-time access to UAV video, hazardous environment reconnaissance. command centers can quickly deploy reSimilarly, Halton Regional Police2 has sources and coordinate responses to unbeen using drones since 2010, deploying folding incidents. Field officers equipped them in a wide range of operations, from with mobile devices could receive live collision investigations to assessments of aerial intelligence, enhancing their tactical serious crimes like armed robberies and decision-making capabilities and increashomicides. The service has recognized the ing officer safety and situational awareness. value of UAVs in gathering crucial intelli- In high-stakes scenarios such as hostage gence and evidence, particularly in situa- situations or active shooter incidents, tions where time is of the essence. sharing real-time video across multiple The integration of UAVs into daily police agencies could be a game-changer and operations is not limited to these examples. could enable more effective and coordinAcross the country, agencies are finding ated responses. innovative ways to leverage drone technology. From monitoring large public events Advanced data capabilities to conducting traffic management and ac- By leveraging intelligent video analytics

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November/December 2024 | BLUE LINE

15

REMEMBRANCE

A mission to honour Canadian police officers who served as soldiers By Brittani Schroeder

E

very year, in the third week of July, the world’s largest and longest-organized (as recognized by Guinness World Records) walking event takes place in Europe: the 4Days Marches (4DAAGSE). Beginning in 1909, it was meant as a military walk where soldiers would build their stamina.

Two-hundred and ninety-six soldiers and 10 civilians departed from the barracks and marched no fewer than 15 routes.

In 1928, the “Walk of the World” allowed foreign members to join for

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the first time: 48 soldiers from Germany, 40 civilians from the United Kingdom, 20 Norwegian soldiers and one Frenchman.

In the present day, the 4DAAGSE is 200 kilometres of walking—or 160 kilometres, depending on what team you are placed on. Over 47,000 participants travel to Nijmegen, Netherlands, to complete the march yearly from over 70 countries worldwide.

Of the participants, approximately 15 per cent are paramilitary.

2025 marks 107 years of the march, with only two years missed due to

The Canadian story

A Canadian presence has existed at 4DAAGSE since 1952, when the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) first joined the rapidly growing group of participants.

In 2012, a Dutch police commissioner visited Vancouver and was a guest of the Vancouver Police Department (VPD). During his visit, he shared information about 4DAAGSE with VPD members and invited a few members to participate. This is how S/Sgt. Scott Rotherham became involved.

Rotherham grew up in England and earned a master’s degree in military history. After joining policing and working in Patrol, crisis negotiator team, sex crimes unit, professional standards, operations control centre, and the education and training unit, he never thought he’d be able to tap into his military educational background and interests.

Rotherham started making inquiries within the department to see if he could get a team together to particiwww.BlueLine.ca

PHOTO CREDIT: KIMBERLI BURGESS

The VPDNijmegen Contingent

World War I, six missed due to World War II, and two missed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

THE VANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENT MEMBERS. WWI • • • • • • • • • • • •

Police Prosecutor John Kennedy Cst. Robert McLean Cst. Harry Symes Cst. James Watson Cst. John Elliott Cst. William Morrison Cst. Hazen Hall Cst. Reginald Lemon Cst. Ernest Scarlett Cst. Herbert Parsons Cst. Archibald Irving Cst. David Morrison

WWII • Cst. Henry Smith • Cst. Hector Sutherland

pate in 4DAAGSE. This project would be much more work than Rotherham initially thought, but he and two others joined forces to ensure they could attend in 2013.

This included official authorization from the organization to participate in the March in VPD uniform.

The Hague Police invited the small VPD contingent to join their team and walk under their banner. From that initial contact, the Hague Police sent the VPD ample information—what to wear, appropriate footwear, and training schedules.

“We attended in 2013 for the first time, but it was on our own dime and time. We were allowed to go and wear some surplus uniform items that we already had, but that was about it for the initial commitment from VPD,” shared Rotherham. This marked the first time Canadian police officers had ever walked in 4DAAGSE. Upon successful completion of the March, each VPD member received the official Vierdaagsekruis medal.

Since 2013, the VPD Nijmegen Contingent has become “a slick, well-oiled machine” through many trials and errors.

Stories shared around VPD inspired more members to take part. When Adam Palmer was sworn in as chief in 2015, he also supported the project and continues to do so.

Around the same time, Rotherham started researching the VPD members who had gone off to fight in the two World Wars and subsequently died. In WWI, twelve had left to serve their country, and all perished due to their injuries—11 in Europe and one who had made it home to British Columbia.

“There wasn’t a lot of information on these members readily available, so I contacted the Police Museum. In part through the help of researchers there and subsequent research, archives were found, and we were able to get a working list identifying @Blue_LineMag

these members, where they were killed, and where they were buried or memorialized.

The plan after that was to physically find our brothers and pay formal respects,” said Rotherham. This mission took years to complete.

In 2018, an inspector came on board to support and join the project. At that time, this inspector was Mark Wooldridge’s boss.

Wooldridge, who has served on patrol in the Downtown Eastside for 12 years both as a constable and front-line supervisor, as the staff sergeant in the training and recruiting section, in the emergency operations and planning section, and now is the officer in charge of the property and forensic storage services, shared Rotherham’s keen interest in military history. He joined this project because it was “an eye-opener about what [they] could do to honour the fallen.”

Wooldridge’s first time participating was in 2019. “Despite our training beforehand, I had no idea how much my feet would hurt.

It is not easy completing five marathons in four days,” he shared.

Every year, the VPD team picks members to attend 4DAAGSE who represent and reflect the organization. There must also be a balance between members who have done it before and those who haven’t. Other considerations include the overall reflection of the organization’s diversity – including gender, rank, years of service – military backgrounds, relatives who fought in either World War, and those with Dutch heritage.

For the tenth anniversary of VPD’s participation, the Hague Police encouraged the VPD-Nijmegen Contingent to bring 10

members. The members continue to be well supported by the wider organization and Police Mutual Benevolent Association (PMBA).

Other services nationwide have begun to participate in 4DAAGSE, including Calgary Police Service, Toronto Police Service, Peel Regional Police and the Alberta Sheriffs.

Rotherham shared that it’s “quite a surreal feeling, but a welcoming one” to be in Western European cemeteries and bump into friends from other police agencies in Canada.

Remembering the fallen

Identifying the location of the 14 fallen VPD soldiers’ remains became a separate mission, and visiting the graves was added to the itinerary of the 4DAAGSE trip each year.

“We build the itinerary so that we see the gravesites for our 12 members buried in Europe once every four years. There are five that we see yearly because two are located in Belgium, and another three are at Vimy Ridge,” said Wooldridge. Wooldridge and other VPD members regularly visit the grave of the other two VPD members, one of which is buried in Vancouver and the other was buried in Victoria.

The VPD members travel to Europe eight days prior to the march. In 2024, those eight days were filled with visits to: • Ghent City Cemetery to honour and remember through a toast the 10 WWI and WWII Canadians buried there • The Dunkirk Museum • Boulogne Eastern Cemetery to pay respects to VPD Cst. David Angus Morrison

November/December 2024 | BLUE LINE

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REMEMBRANCE

• Barlin Communal Cemetery to pay respects to VPD Cst. Hazen Winslow Hall • Hazebrouck Communal Cemetery to pay respects to VPD Cst. Edward Herbert Parsons • Tyne Cot WWI Cemetery • The Brooding Soldier (the St. Julien Memorial), which is a Canadian war memorial and small commemorative park • The “In Flanders Fields Museum” • Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery to pay respects to Vancouver Police Prosecutor John Keefer Kennedy • The Railway Dugouts Burial Ground to pay respects to VPD Cst. Robert McLean • Ramparts Cemetery at the Lille Gate, where 10 Canadian soldiers are buried • The Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, a war memorial dedicated to the 55,395 British and Commonwealth soldiers, including 6,983 Canadians who were killed in the Ypres Salient during WWI whose graves are unknown • Hill 70 Memorial, to pay respects to VPD members Reginald Lemon and Ernest Scarlett, who lost their lives in the Battle of Hill 70 • Vimy Ridge, to pay respects to VPD members, including Cst. James Watson • Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery • Hartenstein Airborne Museum • Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery and Memorial At many sites, a brief speech and a toast are given to the Canadians being remembered.

For VPD members, special remembrance ceremonies are conducted by the VPD Nijmegen Contingent, and wreaths are laid by the headstones and memorial walls.

“The commemorative piece is the reason to do this. The march is just the icing on the 18

BLUE LINE | November/December 2024

cake,” said Wooldridge.

In addition to their ceremonial duties while in Europe, Rotherham and Wooldridge have created a Book of Remembrance to complement VPD’s Hall of Remembrance. The goal is to have a photo of each fallen member’s headstone, an image of the cemetery, and a write-up of who they were, along with the Canadian and VPD flags archived internally and updated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.

A personal connection

Rotherham and Wooldridge are deeply connected to this project, professionally and personally.

Rotherham knew that he had a family member who died in WWII, though the exact details were lost over the years. His father believed the family member was buried in Arnhem, Netherlands. After many family conversations, Rotherham decided to pass along the information to his Hague Police counterpart, Marcel van der Werf, who he’s been paired up with on the marches for several years. When the VPD team was in the Netherlands for the march, Marcel took them to a cemetery where he believed the family member could be buried. They were successful in their search.

“I never knew the man, but I knew he was related to me somehow, and I got very emotional. It was a sense of relief that I’d found him for my family, and it was an incredibly personal moment,” said Rotherham. He was touched that he had found the grave while with some of his closest friends.

Upon hearing the news and seeing the recorded service weeks later, Rotherham’s family was extremely moved.

The following year, when Rotherham was unable to attend 4DAAGSE, Wooldridge and the VPD members went back to visit the grave and noticed a short writeup by the headstone, written by a retired Sussex Police officer named Jane. Incredibly, she was related to the soldier buried there, which meant Rotherham had found more family. During the 2024 march, the pair met for the first time and held a special ceremony for their shared relative in the cemetery.

“This march, on an organizational level, means so much to me. There’s also a huge mental wellness component that has touched many team members. But on a personal level, it just transcends everything.

I found family,” Rotherham added.

For Wooldridge, he knew his great-greatgreat uncle was killed in WWI. Through a DNA website, he could trace his relative and learn where he was buried through the Commonwealth War Graves website. He discovered this information just in time to add another item to that year’s itinerary. In July 2023, the VPD Nijmegen Contingent visited his grave to honour him with a memorial service ceremony.

“It’s one of the most important things I’ve done as a member of the VPD,” he shared. “It’s the ability to make those connections. There’s always that constant grind of work that never stops, but the ability to have a project like this that goes far beyond policing but is still connected to policing because of what we do and the support we get is so important. It was important to my parents as well.”

Other contingent members have also been able to visit their relatives who died while serving. VPD Constables Kathleen Parker and Katelyn Star each honoured their great, great, great uncles, while S/Sgt. Ray Gardner honoured his great grandfather. “The impact on the families is incredible and so worthwhile,” concluded Wooldridge.

A continuing legacy

To acknowledge each year of attendance, a challenge coin was created by and for the VPD members. Wooldridge has also ensured that all ceremonies and marches have been properly documented and recorded.

Scott concluded, “Our plan is to have all of this archived at the police museum. We hope that one day, beyond our Hall of Remembrance at VPD, the fallen are commemorated at the museum for all to see, remember and honour.” www.BlueLine.ca

EXTENDING THE EXPIRATORY DATE ON PRONE-RESTRAINT CARDIAC ARREST

W

e previously reviewed studies in which cardiorespiratory variables were measured during simulated prone restraint, which provided evidence that recovery from exercise while relaxed and restrained does not differ appreciably from recovery from exercise while seated. However, these studies are limited in at least three fundamental aspects.

First, a prone-restrained detainee is often not relaxed or recovering from exertion. Rather, the detainee is often actively struggling while prone-restrained. Second, the prone-restrained detainee is not being passively restrained. Rather, the detainee often has several law enforcement personnel actively suppressing any movement which the detainee attempts to make. Third, the detainee generally does not belong to the same demographic group as the subjects of these studies, who are generally young, healthy and not overweight. Additional factors, such as emotional distress and substance use were not addressed in these studies.

Rather than further critiquing these studies, it is instructive to examine a study which more closely replicated real world prone restraint [1] and systematically analyze the results in relation to cardiorespiratory processes. In that study, subjects were instructed to perform a maximal struggle for 60 seconds while prone-restrained. Oxygen consumption ( O2), minute ventilation ( E) and heart rate where measured, as well as the respiratory exchange ratio (RER). All of these measures increased monotonically during the 60-second struggle. On average O2 and E reached approximately 40% of their corresponding values during a maximal treadmill test, whereas heart rate reached almost 85%. The authors concluded that subjects had adequate ventilatory reserve up to the termination of the 60-second struggle. First, it is important to point out that O2, E and heart rate were still increasing when the struggle terminated, suggesting that they would have attained higher values had the struggle continued. Second, the RER was 1.16, on average. implying that CO2 production was high. Third, the authors conceded that they “could not reproduce the psychological or other physiologic stresses associated with a field pursuit, struggle or trauma”, but more critically, the restraint was passive and no load was applied to the subjects’ back.

Consider the implications of these issues from the perspective of respiration mechanics.

CO2 production would have been even higher if the struggle had progressed beyond 60 seconds.

Consequently, the work of breathing would have to increase to expire more CO2. A load on the back would add to the work of breathing and reduce respiratory efficiency. It has been shown that in the prone position functional residual

capacity (FRC) is reduced compared to upright or seated positions, but more critically it decreased progressively throughout a 5-minute recovery period following exercise while subjects were in a prone-restrained position with a 35% body-weight load [2]. Large reductions in FRC predisposes an individual to partial lung collapse, reducing tidal volume and, hence, the amount of CO2 which can be expired. It has been suggested that FRC reduction requires that more work must be done by inspiratory muscles, resulting in greater CO2 production. It would, therefore, appear that while the production of CO2 increases during a struggle in the prone-restrained position, the amount of CO2 which can be expired decreases.

This puts the detainee at increased risk of respiratory and metabolic acidosis.

The contribution of factors such as obesity, active restraint, emotional distress and substance use should not be ignored. Obesity by itself reduces FRC so placing an obese individual in a prone restrained position will compound the effect of progressively declining FRC during restraint. When law enforcement personnel are actively suppressing body movement by applying

force, they not only increase the work of breathing because the detainee must apply greater forces to create the necessary respiratory movements, but panic can ensue, similar to that reported by patients paralyzed while awake under general anesthesia. Panic tends to increase heart rate and breathing frequency. The former will increase CO2 production, while the latter will increase the work of breathing by reducing respiratory efficiency. Substance abuse can blunt normal physiological responses that regulate blood acidity in response to increasing CO2 production. Thus, a prone restrained individual who is obese, actively restrained, in emotional distress and/or using methamphetamine, opioid or cocaine will be further compromised in being able to expire CO2, placing them at increased risk of cardiac arrest due to respiratory or metabolic acidosis.

[1] Michalewicz BA, Chan TC, Vilke GM, Levy SS. Neuman TS, Kolkhorstet FW (2007) Ventilatory and metabolic demands during aggressive physical restraint in healthy adults. J Forensic Sci 52(1): 171–175.

[2] Campbell M, Dakin R, Stowe S, Burton K, Raven B, Mapani M, Dawson JW, Adler A (2021) Thoracic weighting of restrained subjects during exhaustion recovery causes loss of lung reserve volume in a model of police arrest. Sci Rep 11:15166.

November/December 2024 | BLUE LINE

@Blue_LineMag BL_GTDScientific_NovDec24.indd 1

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2024-11-01 12:20 PM

LEADERSHIP

Transforming board dynamics Six steps for police chiefs to consider

By Neil Dubord and Mimi Moore

6

1 1

Communicating Strategically

2

2

Celebrating Common Interests

W

hen was the last time you genuinely looked forward to your police service’s board

meeting?

Is your board operating at its highest potential and functioning effectively?

Effective leadership in law enforcement demands navigating complex relationships and organizational challenges in an increasingly interconnected world. For police chiefs, managing the dynamics and demands of a board presents unique opportunities and challenges that require strategic finesse and diplomatic skills.

The following six actionable steps present a roadmap for the chiefs who are looking to move from a potentially dysfunctional to a highly effective governance model.

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BLUE LINE | November/December 2024

6

Transforming 5 Board Dynamics 3

Mitigating Stress & Addressing Challenges

5

Navigating Conflict Effectively

4

3

4

Fostering Integrity & Diplomacy

Step 1: Enhanced political acuity

How well do you understand the dynamics of your board? Are there subcurrents, dynamics or factions that leave you baffled?

Police board dynamics can be complex, but achieving harmony within a board involves recognizing and navigating its dynamics, including political and personal interests. A chief must understand the root causes of any challenge, which may include diverse priorities, specific and, at times, divergent agendas, unique personalities (aka egos), or communication gaps.

To enhance political acuity and understand board dynamics, a chief must actively listen to what is said and not said and keenly observe the interactions and issues within the board. A qualified coach can assist the chief in developing these skills, help-

“As chief, I expected my role to be politically neutral, but quickly realized it demanded sharp political acumen.”

– Neil Dubord

ing them identify and understand the dynamics of their board and subsequently address underlying issues effectively.

Through coaching, the chief can learn to foster a collaborative environment where members are aligned, and roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. This proactive approach leads to a more cohesive and functional board, enabling the chief to navigate board dynamics with greater acumen.

Step 2: Strategic communication

Let’s face it: police board dynamics can be challenging to navigate and manage. As a chief, three qualities are essential to your leadership and strategic communication approach.

The chief must be: • Trustworthy • Open www.BlueLine.ca

PHOTO CREDIT: POURQUOI PAS COACHING INTERNATIONAL

Enhancing Political Acuity

• Authentic Trust and open communication are essential for a chief to work effectively with a police board. This requires the chief to engage in regular, transparent communication that clearly outlines goals, expectations, and the chief’s vision for the department. They must also foster an environment where open communication on complex issues is encouraged, even when there is disagreement, ensuring that all matters receive thorough and honest discussion. This authentic communication is not a nice thing to have but a must-have.

“I’ve learned to tailor my communication to each board member, often engaging outside formal meetings to build effective relationships,” said Dubord.

These strategic communication skills could be enhanced through coaching, allowing a chief to try out different styles and forms of communication in a safe environment. This can include establishing formal and informal channels for constructive feedback and promptly addressing concerns. By fostering an environment of transparency and trust, misunderstandings can be mitigated, leading to a stronger, more collaborative relationship between the chief and the board.

Step 3: Common interests

Have you ever found yourself in a meeting where members advocate for a particular position to the detriment of the common good? There are ways to navigate this challenge and transform it into a positive outcome.

Moving board members away from entrenched positions and aligning the entire board around common interests is crucial for achieving a cohesive and effective team.

A chief can steer conversations toward collective success rather than individual positions by identifying shared objectives like community safety, departmental efficiency, innovation and officer well-being.

“I had to steer the conversation toward finding common ground, no matter how small. Each small win became a step forward,” shared Dubord.

Shifting conversation and facilitating interest-based negotiations that emphasize common interests is a strategy that can be examined with a leadership coach. This will help the chief recognize and leverage small wins as steps in the right direction, reinforcing the importance of shared goals. This fosters unity and productivity within the board, ensuring everyone works together @Blue_LineMag

towards the same positive outcomes.

Step 4: Integrity and diplomacy

A person with integrity behaves ethically and does the right thing, even behind closed doors.

Leading with integrity and diplomacy is crucial for police chiefs, especially when faced with difficult decisions. Chiefs must uphold the highest standards of professionalism and ethical conduct, demonstrating fairness, impartiality, and a steadfast commitment to the organization’s mission – and the overall safety of the community they serve. This approach inspires confidence and respect among board members, creating an environment of trust and collaboration.

By providing a confidential space to discuss and refine ideas, a coach can help ensure that decisions are made and communicated with clarity, diplomacy and integrity. This enables chiefs to handle challenging board dynamics, leading by example and maintaining a unified, productive board environment.

Step 5: Navigate conflict effectively

Dubord recalled, at one point, “The tension in the room was overwhelming, and emotions were running high. Three board members weren’t even on speaking terms.

We were at a complete standstill.”

Navigating conflict effectively is essential for maintaining a productive and cohesive board. Conflict within boards is inevitable, but with goodwill and practical conflict resolution skills, it can be managed constructively.

A common outcome of coaching is equipping police chiefs with the strategies needed to handle disagreements effectively. Chiefs must learn the importance of active listening, empathy, and problem-solving. They should also encourage open dialogue, mediate disputes impartially, and seek win-win solutions that prioritize the greater good of the department and community.

By addressing conflicts head-on and facilitating an environment of respect and collaboration, chiefs can turn potential obstacles into opportunities for growth and unity within the board.

Step 6: Stress mitigation and addressing challenges

Being a chief can be lonely, and the burden of responsibility can feel particularly heavy even in the best of times. However, navigating stress that comes from board dynamics is essential for building a cohesive

and productive board. Seeking external support is a sign of proactive leadership, not weakness.

“I felt utterly isolated. I couldn’t confide in my team, and discussing it with the Board—well, they were my employer, and I risked jeopardizing my position. I had no one to turn to as I wrestled with this decision alone,” admitted Dubord.

Sometimes, a trusted, objective confidant outside the situation can provide more precise insights and help identify solutions that might not be immediately apparent. By leveraging external support such as a coach, chiefs can gain unbiased insights and practical solutions tailored to the department’s specific challenges. This approach helps reduce stress and resolve challenges and enhances board functionality and unity, demonstrating solid and effective leadership.

Conclusion

The role of a police chief is complex and demanding. Navigating board dynamics and competing interests among board members adds complexity and stress.

Resolving conflicts, unifying a board and leading with integrity and diplomacy are paramount.

Effective leadership requires a blend of political acuity, strategic communication, and a focus on building consensus through shared interests. A qualified coach can be invaluable, providing guidance, support, and unbiased insights that enable chiefs to proactively address challenges and foster a cohesive, productive board environment.

Chiefs can refine their skills, manage stress, and make decisions with diplomacy and integrity. A Board will often ask how they can support a chief. Providing access to a coach enables an independent support system that fosters success. By leveraging a coach’s expertise, chiefs can lead more effectively and enhance the functionality and unity of their boards, ultimately benefiting their departments and communities.

With 37 years of policing experience, Neil Dubord served as a police chief for 12 years—three years with Metro Vancouver Transit Police and nine years with the Delta Police Department. Throughout his tenure, he demonstrated innovative leadership in community policing and critical incident command. His dedication was recognized with several prestigious honours, including the Order of Merit (OOM), the Police Exemplary Medal, the King Charles III Coronation Medal, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal .

Mimi Moore, is a lawyer, an entrepreneur, an executive coach and a strategic adviser.

November/December 2024 | BLUE LINE

21

BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES

BY PETER COLLINS

Recognizing the signs of problem gambling

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hroughout my career, I have encountered officers whose lives have been affected by severe problem gambling, leading to separation, divorce, Police Act charges for stealing, and, in one case, suicide. Problem gambling (more recently referred to as a gambling disorder by the American Psychiatric Association) is now recognized as a public health concern. It has been estimated that the gambling-related burden of harm is similar in magnitude to the harm attributed to a major depressive disorder or alcohol misuse and dependence.

Gambling is taking the chance of losing money or belongings in a situation where the outcome is primarily decided by chance.

It can occur in various circumstances, including physical and virtual casinos, lottery tickets, sports betting, and stock market speculation.

Problem gambling affects a person’s life by getting in the way of work or other activities, hurts the person financially, causes problems with family and friends, damages an individual’s reputation and impacts one’s mental health.

According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), where I have been on staff since 1989, people with gambling problems are found in all age and income groups, cultures and occupations.

Some people can develop gambling problems suddenly, others over years. These issues occur along a continuum; they are not discrete categories but possible points along a range of involvement, from not gambling at all to pathological gambling: Casual social gambling: Most people gamble casually, buying the occasional lottery ticket or occasionally visiting a casino for entertainment.

Serious social gambling: These people play regularly. It’s their main form of entertainment, but it does not come before family and work.

Harmful involvement: These people are experiencing difficulties in their personal, work and social relationships.

Pathological gambling: For a small but considerable number of people, gambling seriously harms all aspects of their lives.

People with severe gambling problems are unable to control the urge to gamble despite the harm it causes.

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BLUE LINE | November/December 2024

Risk factors

Many risk factors may make a person more at risk of developing a gambling problem.

These can include: • Financial difficulties; • A big win early in his or her gambling history, leading to high expectations; • Having experienced a recent loss or change, such as relationship problems, divorce, job loss, or death of a loved one; • Coping with health concerns or pain; • Feeling lonely, depressed or anxious; • Having few interests or hobbies and complaining of being bored; • A history of impulsivity; • Easy access to gambling; • Has had problems with alcohol or drugs; • A family history of problem gambling; • A belief that he or she has an assist or a way of gambling that increases his or her odds of winning; or, • Tie their self-esteem to gambling wins or losses.

Behavioural signs

gambler and their family members.

Frequently, individuals with gambling issues will ask to borrow money to try and obtain salary advances. Bank accounts, RRSPs, or insurance plans will be cashed in; family members may notice that valuables go missing. The growing isolation from family members can lead to separation, divorce and, in the worst cases, suicide.

Diagnosis and treatment

Free treatment, including counselling, is available to anyone in Canada affected by gambling, including family members.

Counselling can help people understand why they gamble so they can stop, cut down or change their gambling habits.

In most areas, an agency that offers specialized counselling for problem gambling is available close to home. In addition, telephone counselling and a self-help guide are also available. The Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline, for example, is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can link people to the support and resources they need.

To recognize it in yourself or your colleagues, behavioural signs can include: • Stops doing things they previously Counselling for the person who gambles enjoyed People often ask if they will have to stop • Misses family events • Changes in patterns of sleep, eating or sex gambling to begin counselling. Only the individual can decide to stop.

• Ignores self-care, work or family tasks As noted above, gambling affects people • Has conflicts with people over money and their families in diverse ways. Problem • Uses alcohol or other drugs more often gambling counsellors can help • Leaves children alone, negProblem people look at their options to lects their primary care • Cheats or steals to get money gambling is now decide what is right for them, recognized as a including taking a break from to gamble or pay debts gambling. Some people im• Has legal problems related to public health concern. mediately know what actions gambling they want, while others aren’t • Is often late for work or school sure. Either way, taking a break • Organizes staff pools from gambling can help. Then, the person • Is absent for long, unexplained periods can think about how gambling affects him Emotional signs of problem gambling can or her and how to get back in control. vary and include withdrawing from family and friends, irritability and complaints of A list of resources can be found online at restlessness or boredom. blueline.ca/Recognizing-the-signs-of-probIt is estimated that for each person with lem-gambling. a gambling problem, eight to 10 individuals are directly affected in some way. A house- Peter Collins is the operational forensic psychiatrist hold can be disrupted in several ways, above with the Ontario Provincial Police’s Criminal Behaviour and beyond the trouble of paying bills and Analysis Section. He is also a member of the crisis/ hostage negotiation team of the Toronto Police accumulating debt. There can be mental Service Emergency Task Force. Dr. Collins’ opinions are and physical health problems for both the his own. Contact him at peter.collins@utoronto.ca. www.BlueLine.ca

:

@Blue_LineMag

November/December 2024 | BLUE LINE

23

INTERAGENCY COOPERATION

Public Private Partnerships Project Protect and the War on Human Trafficking in Canada

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n 2015, a brave survivor of sexbased human trafficking stood up at an anti-money laundering conference in Toronto and challenged major financial institutions to get involved in the war on sexual slavery. Her impassioned plea was met instantly with action by Peter Warrack, Stuart Davis, and Canada’s Financial Transactions Reports Analysis Centre (FINTRAC), who stood up and pledged their assistance to follow the money.

Within months, FINTRAC, law enforcement and Canada’s major banks and other financial institutions laid out a framework to enhance information sharing to disrupt 24

BLUE LINE | November/December 2024

human trafficking networks across Canada and beyond. Thus began the journey of “Project Protect”. That survivor’s name is Timea Nagy, and she set off a chain reaction in the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) space that would see Project Protect created and its model become world-renowned and the first of many Public Private Partnerships successfully implemented.

As a crime, sex-based human trafficking remains chronic in Canada.

The government of Canada reports that of all human trafficking cases, 96 per cent of victims are women and girls, 65 per cent of cases reported to police occurred in Ontario,

96% of victims are women.1

and 91 per cent of victims of police-reported incidents knew their trafficker.1 From a year-over-year perspective, crime rates for sexbased human trafficking remain high despite these efforts.

From a reporting entity (RE) financial institution perspective, there were many challenges with participating in this effort—at least initially. “Follow the money and focus on the money laundering” – what does that mean, and how would the financial institutions get that information to FINTRAC, where it could be further shared with law enforcement agencies? The concept was simple. REs already submit www.BlueLine.ca

PHOTO: CREDIT:© TINNAKORN / ADOBE STOCK

By Paula Labao and Cameron Field

Suspicious Transaction Reports (STR) to FINTRAC, who can then proactively share actionable financial intelligence with law enforcement agencies or via a Voluntary Information Record (VIR). Then came the second challenge.

How would FINTRAC be able to distinguish STRs related to human trafficking, given the volume they receive on an annual basis? By using the phrase #Project Protect on STRs being reported to FINTRAC for human trafficking events, FINTRAC could identify which reports pertained to human trafficking and, therefore, provide critical information to law enforcement agencies to advance their criminal investigations.

Once the blueprint had been created, it was a matter of communication and implementation, or rather, modifying the current process for suspicious transaction reporting with all REs. The rest, as they say, is history. In Dec. 2016, FINTRAC, in collaboration with financial institutions, created an Operational Alert, “Indicators: The Laundering of Illicit proceeds from Human Trafficking for sexual exploitation”, to increase awareness and understanding of red flags and the connection of money laundering in relation to human trafficking. In July 2021, a new and updated Operational Alert with additional indicators was published, “Indicators: Laundering of Proceeds from Human Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation,” by FINTRAC with the support of Canada’s financial institutions and the RCMP. These Operational Alerts are then shared with the financial institutions as part of additional training for their front-line staff and their investigation units. They can also be used by the financial institutions’ modelling/monitoring teams to create scenarios leveraging the indicators to automate and capture these behaviours in @Blue_LineMag

alerts for further investigation.2 seeing what would support From a law enforcement these fledgling police cases. perspective, this effort couldn’t Intelligence is always needed, come fast enough. In a but when given with precision, post-pandemic world, scarce police can work more quickly police resources are spread and efficiently when disrupting even thinner through budget these brutal criminal networks. holds and reductions. Yet many One aspect of this intellipolice agencies in Canada now gence continuum that gives fihave dedicated human traffick- nancial institutions a head start ing teams that work in coordin- is that of police media discloated efforts to pool resources sures of human trafficking arand intelligence. A good ex- rests. Financial institutions ample is the Anti-Human Traf- actively data mine adverse ficking Unit and Intelligence media to better manage their Led Joint Forces Strategy team risk of criminal activity within led by the Ontario Provincial their financial ecosystems. The Police. What had been missing more financial institutions before 2015 was critical infor- learn about human trafficking mation on the money flows of networks, the better the quality human trafficking of their reporting to networks. In this reFINTRAC. Yet, in gard, financial institu- Intelligence 2024, not all law entions held the keys. is always forcement agencies Tracking money flows needed, but necessarily release would fall to banks when given this information even and other reporting with preciwhen the law allows entities within Can- sion, police for it. a d a ’ s l e g i s l a t i v e can work Another powerful framework under the more quick- tool police can use is Proceeds of Crime ly and proactive disclosures (Money Laundering) efficiently of investigations to and Terrorist Finan- when disanti-money launcing Act (PCMLTF rupting dering teams within these brutal these financial instituAct).

W h a t e m e r g e d criminal tions. By providing from Project Protect networks. information on suswas an intelligence pected bad actors and continuum. Using a other data ‘artifacts,’ triparty framework, these institutions can law enforcement, FinTRAC commence parallel but inand financial institutions dependent reviews of clients would leverage existing privacy suspected of facilitating human laws, legislation and other trafficking. These institutions sanctioned information-shar- can then provide targeted inteling channels to ensure that ligence to FinTRAC that lends critical intelligence landed efficiency to the war on sexual where it was needed most: the slavery. What allows for this police. aspect are legislative laneways Police don’t just rely on dis- that permit police to disclose closures from FINTRAC and information in the name of confidential sources. They are community safety. taking the initiative and making Finally, the war on sexual voluntary disclosures to slavery is not limited to FINTRAC when launching and FINTRAC, law enforcement conducting human trafficking and financial institutions. Caninvestigations. By giving ada has been an innovation hub FinTRAC insight into their in- for this work through the advovestigations, this government cacy of the Canadian Centre to agency has a roadmap for End Human Trafficking looking at its own data and (CCTEHT). This publicly fund-

ed NGO runs a human trafficking hotline and lends support to survivors of this crime.

Additionally, it has produced startling intelligence on aspects of human trafficking within Canada and beyond. In one such research effort, they highlighted the highway corridor between Montréal and Toronto, where human trafficking victims are moved between cities to facilitate this crime. This report has significantly informed the efforts of this triparty effort.3 Moving forward, law enforcement needs to continue its work in this space. It needs to continue its intelligence-sharing efforts whenever and wherever possible to allow other stakeholders to engage and contribute efficiently. As with any criminal investigation, any piece of evidence or intelligence is critical and may be that missing piece that will free a victim of sexual slavery.

References

“Human trafficking isn’t what you think it is.” Government of Canada. Accessed at https:// www.canada.ca/en/public-safety-canada/campaigns/ human-trafficking.html.

“Updated Indicators: Laundering of proceeds from human trafficking for sexual exploitation.” Government of Canada. Accessed at https:// fintrac-canafe.canada.ca/intel/ operation/oai-hts-2021-eng.

“Human Trafficking Corridors in Canada.” Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking. Accessed at https://www. canadiancentretoendhumantrafficking.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Human-Trafficking-Corridors-in-Canada-Report.pdf.

Paula Labao, CAMS, Director, Canadian Financial Intelligence Unit, Bank of Montreal.

Cameron Field, MSc, CAMS, Vice President, Vidocq Group and retired law enforcement.

November/December 2024 | BLUE LINE

25

GEAR

Quality gear Making the difference for law enforcement

By Brendan Rodela and Hilary Rodela

and lightweight, and they look and feel like they aren’t even there when you wear them.

The sound quality is loud and clear, so I barely needed to turn my radio volume past zero to hear in standard settings. A bonus was that they didn’t cancel outside noise, so there was no risk of giving up situational awareness when dealing with the public.

The dual earpiece allowed for balanced sound in both ears, so I didn’t risk missing potentially vital radio communications while a witness recounted an incident in very loud, minute detail.

The Braided Fiber Cord option is the same as the N-ear 360 earpiece, but the cable portion that would feed through a vest is covered by cloth, preventing Velcro straps from damaging the cable over time. After eight months of wearing the braided cloth cord and in constant contact with the Velcro shoulder straps of my outer vest, everything still looks and functions as it did at the start.

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he right tools make a difference in job performance. As an active-duty Sheriff’s Deputy and an Investigative Instructor, we appreciate topnotch tools and resources. Here are a few items we came across in 2024 and had the opportunity to try out.

Come rain or shine

There are few things worse than writing imperative notes at the scene that you will need for your report and then losing them to water damage. We tested a few notebooks, holders and pens from Rite in the Rain and were pleased with the results.

The notebook holder was designed with a spot for a pen, which is helpful because I’ll never lose my pen again. In addition, there are several other slots where I can keep business cards. Furthermore, the notebooks designated for first responders have specific field areas for incident reporting—the Field Interview Notebook, or “F. I. Notebook”, has a copy of the Miranda Rights printed inside.

The notebook’s size was also good, as it could fit in a center console or a shirt or vest pocket.

To further test the items, we wrote an example scenario and ran the notebook 26

BLUE LINE | November/December 2024

underwater. Not only did the ink not run, but the pen still wrote after it was soaked.

For law enforcement, in particular, we tried out the Law Enforcement Notebook and found it to be a good fit for use on duty.

It included a phonetic alphabet guide and 110 pages with room to write anything from minor traffic accidents to major incidents.

Constant communication

When you’re waiting on dispatch to respond to a warrant check on a suspect, the last thing you want to do is give away the surprise. When the words “subject holds a felony warrant, nationwide extradition” come over the air, the suspect knows it’s time to fight or flee. However, if only you and your partners heard that, you could proceed to arrest the suspect before they have time to react. That is why I always wear an earpiece attached to my radio mic. Unfortunately, those earpieces would eventually develop moisture in the tube and muffle the sound, the clip would break, or they would wear out after a few months.

N-ear sent us their N-ear 360 Original Radio Earpiece with the braided fibre cord and the N-ear 360 Original Dual Radio Earpiece to try out. Both options are thin

Any AR-15 or similar long gun is incomplete without a quality optic. Regardless of holographic sights, red dots, or long-range scopes, you must keep a backup set of iron sights at the ready, just in case. Batteries can die, glass can be scratched, and screws can come loose at the worst possible times.

Therefore, my patrol rifle is equipped with front and rear flip-up sights.

We acquired the XS Sights Flip-up Sights with CSAT aperture and Tritium Stripe. The rear sight was designed with a seven-yard notch and a 100-yard aperture, which can be flipped down in favour of a large aperture for dynamic distance. The font post features a green tritium stripe surrounded by a white outline, making sight acquisition extremely fast. This is a good option sight for backup or an upgrade for a shooter who prefers to stick with iron sights.

XS Sights also allowed us to try out their R3D 2.0 Night Sights. The front and rear tritium made for excellent visibility when we came up on target in varying lighting conditions, and the version we were sent had the orange front sight. This contrast between the green rear sight and the orange front sight allowed us both to acquire the target with speed and confidence. For an everyday carry, concealable firearm, these sights were perfect for close-quarters self-defence situations.

Brendan and Hilary Rodela are a married couple.

Brendan is an active-duty law enforcement officer, and Hilary was a CSI; she is now an investigative instructor, and the couple run a podcast together calledCrossing the Tape.

www.BlueLine.ca

PHOTO CREDIT: RITE IN THE RAIN, N-EAR, XS SIGHTS

Within eyesight

HOLDING THE LINE

BY MICHELLE VINCENT

Looking through the lens of a first responder in need

PHOTO CREDIT: © DRAZEN / ADOBE STOCK

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hat feeling that it hurts too much to be in this world. The thoughts that say, “I am a burden to everyone, especially my family.”

Suicidal ideation and completion are all too common amongst our public safety personnel and military personnel.

The fear that reaching out for help might negate a sought-after promotion or even tie you to a desk job. Maybe they will pull you off of a dispatching role.

Questions swirling around in your head, asking what will your colleagues and family think of you if they see where you’re truly at? How can you stop to receive help when you are sup-

posed to be there to help others?

What does that help even look like?

In connecting with a special individual, I was humbled to have them share a chapter of their journey. It may be triggering for some. They intended to share with those who can

create change through opportunity, knowledge and information about what we are all doing right in this area, as well as to support peers in understanding what this journey may look like.

I have learned we have a long way to go yet in having compassionate, supportive resources.

Here are excerpts of this person’s story and thoughts on what impacted them on their journey, which is ongoing.

Courageously, after an intimate moment of almost completing suicide, they reached out to their trusted leader and explained where they were in the present moment. This leader, incredibly supportive and respectful of their friend’s close call, reached out to someone who could connect them with the best available resources. As a result of the intensity of the situation, and to ensure they received the proper mental health care, this friend was brought to a very reputable mental health organization in an unmarked vehicle, with colleagues in plain clothes, so as to normalize, as best possible, this apprehension.

Once at this mental health

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HOLDING THE LINE

BY MICHELLE VINCENT

organization, dedicated staff members were Transparency in all organizations in a present for support. This journey, however, kind, caring, non-procedural manner could was challenging. While sitting in the waiting save the lives of those experiencing suicidal room, this officer quickly noideation. Why? Because the fear ticed people around them I have learned of the unknown is no longer unwearing slippers on their feet— we have a long known. This creates a safe emoslippers worn by persons com- way to go yet in tional space. having ing from prison.

Understanding that reaching Any pre-existing feeling of compassionate, out for help or others ensuring safety was immediately gone. supportive help is received—even if Mental health issues impact resources. self-awareness is not present— everyone, and the thought of will not change one’s opportunwhat could happen to an officer if they ities at work, the respect of those around ended up in jail was hard to get out of their them, rank, etc. mind. This was precisely what they had Every leader should respond as this offifeared all along. Thankfully, the staff at this cer’s old-school organizational leader did. mental health organization created a safe, Rather than asking, “Where did we go secure space for the officer, with a psychia- wrong?” understand that it is not a personal trist and other supports available on their issue but rather a familial, occupational, and healing journey. situational issue.

This officer sought help and is well into First responders require specialized mentheir healing journey. Some critical thoughts tal health care that is exclusive to them, so that might help in the considerations of they do not need to worry about “inmate organizations, first responder families, slippers” triggering severe safety concerns friends of first responders and first respond- when they are already highly vulnerable. ers themselves were shared.

Healing in a natural oasis is known to be

extremely therapeutic under the care of skilled psychiatrists and mental health teams. First responders need support from peers who are proficient in many areas, and they need a natural healing space with evidence-based programming exclusive to them.

Some statistics were newly released for us all to consider. Twenty-six per cent of police officers, 25 per cent of firefighters, 33 per cent of nurses, and 41 per cent of paramedics have thoughts of suicide throughout their lifetime.1 First responders are disproportionately affected by mental health issues.

Let’s work through these barriers by being transparent, open and clear. Because together, we can.

As peers, know and be sensitive to the signs that one of our own might be struggling, and remember that first responders need a different environment to heal.

Michelle Vincent PhD/MACP is a retired officer and the founder of The Haven, Ontario’s first non-profit, inpatient treatment centre exclusive to first responders and uniform personnel. Contact her at michelle. vincent@thehaven.cloud.

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BACK OF THE BOOK

BY MARK GILES

Communicating with credibility: Clear, competent messaging for investigators

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ithin the police units re- tions but rather the subjective and softly sponsible for serious influential aspects that make the difference. crimes, there is a clear understanding of the tac- Outline, underline, timeline and tics and advanced technologies involved in define the investigative processes and essential Police and law enforcement agencies have requirements needed to put together the come a long way in recognizing the importevidence to support charges and convic- ance of transparency and regular communitions. Externally, however, there is much cations with external audiences, so the first less understanding of the process, which is point above – to outline (or summarize) – is no surprise given the sensitivities of the one that most have mastered. For major work and the care needed to avoid jeopard- crimes, holding a news conference or at least some form of media opporizing investigations while comtunity quickly – followed by at municating with the public and How people perceive an least reactive (when asked), but non-police audiences. ideally proactive updates – is now While the investigative pro- investigation, standard operating procedure. cess certainly needs to be pro- or the Outlining the situation (the tected to avoid tainting evidence reputation of a crime), what you are doing about or the ability to acquire it, much police or law it (the investigation), and what can still be said publicly to dem- enforcement onstrate competence and agency, is their you’re asking the public to do (appeal to witnesses, provide strengthen credibility with the reality – their video) are the key aspects to efpublic. Sharing information en- “truth”. fective public communications, hances understanding and builds trust, which leads to credibility. With through all mediums: news conference/ credibility, there is more confidence in the media opportunity, web and social media posts, and other briefings. Outlining is a work of police and their agencies.

How people perceive an investigation, or fundamental element of demonstrating the reputation of a police or law enforce- competence and earning credibility.

Beyond the outline, however, the path ment agency, is their reality – their “truth”.

Positive perceptions lead to public and taken can deviate – sometimes in a positive critical stakeholder support, whereas nega- direction, sometimes towards a less transtive perceptions are likely to lead to public parent or effective path – impacting percepapathy or – worse – misunderstanding, tions of competence and credibility. At this point, we often start to use this media recomplaints and even conspiracy theories.

The problem of inaccurate or negative sponse line: “This matter is under investiperceptions has been further complicated gation (or before the courts); I can’t provide by the increased clutter of mainstream and further comment.” However, at this stage, alternative media, social media platforms, something can always be said to “underand other forms of online communication. line” (highlight or describe) an early sucWith the proliferation of rapidly transmit- cess or initiative – or a specific challenge.

This underlined item(s) might be a rapid ted imagery—still photos and video—and the vast array of misinformation and even response and containment of the scene by disinformation, communicating through patrol officers, the thorough processing and attention to detail by identification/ the “clutter” can be a huge challenge.

I’d like to offer four tactics for consider- scene analysts, or the prompt acquisition ation in enhancing credibility when com- of search warrants to look for additional municating the status and progress of in- evidence. Alternatively, or additionally, it vestigations. They are linked to the proper could be challenges faced due to weather use of key messages, which should be short, impacting a crime scene – all straightsubjective and softly influential. These forward elements of an investigation, but messages should blend in facts; however, it not always laid out in detail for the public is often not the facts that impact percep- to hear and understand. Communicating 30

BLUE LINE | November/December 2024

these key messages, with a subjective and softly influential perspective to support known facts, enhances understanding, perceptions of competence and, ultimately, credibility.

My favourite line

Reporters will often ask timeline-related questions, and this is an excellent opportunity to inject an answer that provides some context while subtly emphasizing the key messages of competence and thoroughness. As a police spokesperson, one of my favourite timeline-related responses was: “We will conduct this investigation as quickly as we can while ensuring we take the time needed to do so thoroughly and completely.” It is far from specific, but adds some context, along with a meaningful message that is better received than simply saying one doesn’t know.

Finally, there are often opportunities to “define” certain aspects of an investigation – or at least speak to a specific technology, asset or capability (e.g. DNA analysis) held or available to your agency. This can be done through web or social media updates, if not during in-person media opportunities. Specifics can sometimes be included without negatively impacting or jeopardizing an ongoing investigation or court case; if not, these capabilities can still be explained generally – in plain language – whether they constitute part of the investigation at the time or not. Defining these capabilities can build confidence and your agency’s credibility.

A solid investigation gets better with clear, meaningful communications – cutting through the clutter to outline, underline, timeline and define your work – while helping the public better understand, building positive perceptions of your competence, and enhancing your credibility with the communities you serve.

Mark Giles is a retired Calgary police officer and public affairs (PA) professional. His background includes service as head of PA for the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal (military police) and National Investigation Service, chief of communications at Interpol, and as a senior communications analyst with the Privy Council Office – the bureaucratic arm of the Prime Minister’s Office in Ottawa. He can be contacted at Mi2-Surveillance@protonmail.ch.

www.BlueLine.ca

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