On paper, Canadian police services maintain detailed use of force policies. They outline when force is justified, the principle of proportionality, and a duty to de-escalate whenever possible. Many reference the National Use of Force Framework, emphasizing officer safety, public protection, and minimal necessary force.
The Reality Gap
But communities often experience a different reality:
Disproportionate impacts: Racialized and Indigenous people face higher rates of force.
Escalation patterns: Encounters that begin as minor stops sometimes spiral unnecessarily.
Lack of transparency: Reports of force are inconsistently tracked and rarely public.
Disconnect in training: Officers may learn de-escalation in classrooms, but culture in the field rewards control and compliance.
Canadian Context
Case law: Courts have emphasized proportionality, yet rulings often defer heavily to officer judgment.
High-profile incidents: From wellness checks ending in fatalities to aggressive crowd control, the public sees repeated examples where policy ideals appear ignored.
Accountability gap: Few use-of-force incidents lead to discipline, fueling mistrust.
Data scarcity: Canada lacks consistent national reporting, leaving communities to rely on anecdote or media coverage.
The Challenges
Ambiguity of “reasonable”: What seems reasonable to an officer in the moment may look excessive to the public after the fact.
Split-second decisions: Officers face real dangers that complicate strict adherence to policy.
Institutional protection: Even when policies are violated, unions and leadership often shield officers from consequences.
Public expectation: Communities expect restraint; officers are often trained to prioritize control.
The Opportunities
Transparent reporting: Mandatory, detailed public release of use-of-force statistics.
Body-worn footage with context: Provide full recordings, not selective clips.
Community review panels: Involve residents in evaluating whether policies match outcomes.
Shift in metrics: Reward officers for de-escalation success, not just control.
The Bigger Picture
Policies don’t protect communities if they stay on paper. The credibility of Canadian policing depends not on how use-of-force rules are written, but on whether they’re lived in the heat of real encounters.
The Question
If force policies preach restraint but practice too often shows escalation, what does that say about accountability? Which leaves us to ask: how can Canada close the reality gap so that policies truly shape behaviour, not just public perception?
Use of Force Policies and Reality Gaps
The Policy Ideal
On paper, Canadian police services maintain detailed use of force policies. They outline when force is justified, the principle of proportionality, and a duty to de-escalate whenever possible. Many reference the National Use of Force Framework, emphasizing officer safety, public protection, and minimal necessary force.
The Reality Gap
But communities often experience a different reality:
Canadian Context
The Challenges
The Opportunities
The Bigger Picture
Policies don’t protect communities if they stay on paper. The credibility of Canadian policing depends not on how use-of-force rules are written, but on whether they’re lived in the heat of real encounters.
The Question
If force policies preach restraint but practice too often shows escalation, what does that say about accountability? Which leaves us to ask:
how can Canada close the reality gap so that policies truly shape behaviour, not just public perception?