The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) said national issues and global conflicts have led to an increase in protests and demonstrations across Canada, creating an unsustainable demand on police services and operations. Additionally, police leaders at the CACP’s 119th Annual Summit expressed concerns about having dedicated police teams away from their regular duties to reassign them to help manage public assemblies or having to hire extra staff or pay overtime to meet the increased demand for services. “To meet the increased demand for service created by increased protests and demonstrations, while ensuring officer and public safety, will require the moral and financial support of all levels of government to acquire the necessary human resources, equipment, and training and to enact required legislation to make it illegal to dox the police,” said CACP President Thomas Carrique in a Tuesday press release. The CACP said it is disheartening for the police when negative public-police interactions take place in Canada and around the world, as they affect the perception of, reaction to, and respect for officers in their community. It added the increased number of police-public interactions that involve verbal and physical assaults, swarmings, and other threatening or deadly acts directed at officers is problematic and unacceptable.As protestors take to the streets, many are going to social and news media and using artificial intelligence and other new technologies to express their discontent and demands. Protesters have gone online to target or dox police officers with malicious intent. Halifax Regional Police Chief Don MacLean said delegates at the summit attended sessions on strategic intelligence, public order management, crisis management, artificial intelligence, and the importance of officer safety in public safety.“There is a diversity of needs, expectations and concerns related to policing,” said MacLean. “Those expectations are high, and it means that we have to engage and adapt our thinking and our practices.” On July 23, CACP members at the summit adopted Resolution 2024-03 to address the impact on policing of an increase in the volume and harmful content of protests. They called on all levels of government to acknowledge and address the unsustainable demand on police services.This ordeal comes after Calgary Police Service (CPS) Chief Constable Mark Neufeld said in January Calgarians can expect the number of charges laid during political street protests to increase in the coming year. READ MORE: Calgary police chief says more arrests during political protests comingCPS said the large demonstrations attracting hundreds of people are costing $30,000 each time to patrol — a task performed by up to 120 officers. “A lot of it’s front-line members who would otherwise be in districts who are redeployed folks on their days off coming in,” said Neufeld.
The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) said national issues and global conflicts have led to an increase in protests and demonstrations across Canada, creating an unsustainable demand on police services and operations. Additionally, police leaders at the CACP’s 119th Annual Summit expressed concerns about having dedicated police teams away from their regular duties to reassign them to help manage public assemblies or having to hire extra staff or pay overtime to meet the increased demand for services. “To meet the increased demand for service created by increased protests and demonstrations, while ensuring officer and public safety, will require the moral and financial support of all levels of government to acquire the necessary human resources, equipment, and training and to enact required legislation to make it illegal to dox the police,” said CACP President Thomas Carrique in a Tuesday press release. The CACP said it is disheartening for the police when negative public-police interactions take place in Canada and around the world, as they affect the perception of, reaction to, and respect for officers in their community. It added the increased number of police-public interactions that involve verbal and physical assaults, swarmings, and other threatening or deadly acts directed at officers is problematic and unacceptable.As protestors take to the streets, many are going to social and news media and using artificial intelligence and other new technologies to express their discontent and demands. Protesters have gone online to target or dox police officers with malicious intent. Halifax Regional Police Chief Don MacLean said delegates at the summit attended sessions on strategic intelligence, public order management, crisis management, artificial intelligence, and the importance of officer safety in public safety.“There is a diversity of needs, expectations and concerns related to policing,” said MacLean. “Those expectations are high, and it means that we have to engage and adapt our thinking and our practices.” On July 23, CACP members at the summit adopted Resolution 2024-03 to address the impact on policing of an increase in the volume and harmful content of protests. They called on all levels of government to acknowledge and address the unsustainable demand on police services.This ordeal comes after Calgary Police Service (CPS) Chief Constable Mark Neufeld said in January Calgarians can expect the number of charges laid during political street protests to increase in the coming year. READ MORE: Calgary police chief says more arrests during political protests comingCPS said the large demonstrations attracting hundreds of people are costing $30,000 each time to patrol — a task performed by up to 120 officers. “A lot of it’s front-line members who would otherwise be in districts who are redeployed folks on their days off coming in,” said Neufeld.
