Parliamentary Committee Notes: Police Intervention
Date: April 29, 2022
Classification: UNCLASSIFED
Fully releasable (ATIP)? Yes/No
Branch / Agency: RCMP
Proposed Response:
- 99.9% of all RCMP interactions with the public are resolved naturally or with communication and de-escalation.
- The RCMP will use only the level of intervention that is reasonable and necessary to ensure the safety of all citizens and to maintain peace, order, and security.
- Training for crisis intervention and de-escalation is mandatory for all RCMP officers. In April 2021, the RCMP launched an updated Incident Management Intervention Model online training course and graphic. This updated training includes more emphasis on crisis intervention and de-escalation.
- The RCMP Commissioner has launched a national dialogue with Canadian police chiefs to collaboratively re-examine the current de-escalation framework towards a refreshed model that will be developed in consultation with the policing community and other specific groups, including those representing racialized people.
- It is critically important for Canadians to feel protected by the police, and absolutely paramount that employees, communities, partners, and Canadians have trust and confidence in the RCMP.
Background:
The RCMP responds to an average of 2.96 million calls for service each year. Applications of intervention account for one in every 1,268 RCMP calls for service, or 0.1 per cent, meaning 99.9 per cent of RCMP occurrences are resolved naturally or with communication/de-escalation. Overall, there was a 44% decline in the rate of police intervention options applied from 2010 to 2019, with 2019 (0.075%) marking the lowest rate of police intervention over the ten-year period. However, in 2020, there was a small increase in the rate of police intervention options being applied (0.079%).
Crisis Intervention and De-escalation (CID)
The RCMP has strengthened CID training and recognizes that even in situations where CID techniques can be used, additional police intervention may still be necessary to protect the individual or others. Since 2016, an online training course has been mandatory for all RCMP officers, which helps police officers determine when and how to use CID techniques. The Commissioner has established a National Police Chiefs Roundtable forum with support from the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) to examine CID. This Task Group aims to standardize and improve when police use intervention options and CID techniques. The RCMP has also redesigned and updated the RCMP Public and Police Safety Instructor Course and Block Training to include CID techniques throughout course content. Modernization of police and public safety intervention equipment continues to be made to update the RCMP less-lethal intervention options.
Incident Management Intervention Model (IMIM)
Progress made by the CACP Task Group is being followed closely and the RCMP is committed to modernizing and updating the IMIM and associated training. The IMIM is the framework used by RCMP officers to assess and manage risk in all encounters with the public, whether verbal de-escalation or the use of an intervention option. As of April 2021, the IMIM graphic was updated to emphasize communication and CID. The IMIM is introduced in the second week at the RCMP Academy and integrated into all relevant aspects of training for the remaining 24 weeks. Annual IMIM re-certification training is mandatory for all Regular Members.
Carotid Control Technique (CCT) / Vascular Neck Restraint
As of 2021, all RCMP members must recertify annually on the policy regarding the application and use of the CCT. RCMP Subject Behaviour / Officer Response reporting shows the CCT was used 25 times in 2020. In June 2020, the RCMP Commissioner stated the use of CCT would be examined. As part of this ongoing review, the RCMP is participating in an international medical safety study, information on the study and results will be shared when the report is completed which is anticipated to be mid-2022.
Subject Behaviour / Officer Response (SB/OR) Police Intervention Reporting
SB/OR reporting is a standardized method to record and explain the intervention strategies that an officer chose to manage an incident. The SB/OR reporting application is robust and was created as a tool to aid RCMP officers in articulating the circumstances in which an intervention was used. SB/OR reports are periodically reviewed or audited for accuracy and adherence to policy at the national level. SB/OR data also allows for evidence-based decision making for the development of policy, training, and equipment.
Contacts:
Prepared by: Zachary Lair, Policy Analyst, Strategic Policy, Contract and Indigenous Policing, RCMP; 343-573-7407
Approved by: Brian Brennan, Deputy Commissioner, Contract and Indigenous Policing, RCMP; 613-843-4632
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