By NATHANIEL FLYNN
Friday, Jan. 21, 2011
Police misconduct will always affect the public’s perception of the police, no matter what force is involved, Richard Collins, the deputy police chief of Charlottetown, said Jan. 19.
There have been few complaints directed at the Charlottetown Police, but just the fact that a complaint was made affects any public perception, he said.
Even excluding excessive force, the complaint list is small, Collins said.
“The public has respect for us, and confidence.”
Over last weekend, an RCMP officer in Kelowna, B.C. kicked a suspect in the head while the suspect was getting on the ground. The incident was caught on video by a bystander. Const. Geoff Mantler was suspended with pay, and the Abbotsford Police Department recommended Mantler be charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm.
Phil Strachan, co-ordinator of the Police Science program at the Holland College Atlantic Police Academy, said police agencies use what’s called a Use of Force Framework during arrests. Cadets and officers learn to use a guideline when force is required or not.
“In a lot of cases, officers only need to use oral communication to defuse the situation.”
Each cadet is put in scenarios where they are monitored for professionalism and for not using too much force.
Potential cadets must pass several psychological examinations before they’re considered for the program, including the Police Officer Selection Test, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and the Police Science Test (P.S.T.).
After these three personality examinations, potential Cadets must go through a polygraph interview and a background check for any criminal records.
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