Edmonton police report slight uptick in use of force amid increasing violent incidents
Edmonton police officers used force more times in the first half of 2024 compared to the last two years, according to new statistics presented to the city’s police commission Thursday.
But police officials are linking the increase to a significant jump in the number of violent incidents they respond to each year.
There were 1,081 people who encountered police force in the first half of 2024, according to an Edmonton Police Service report. Injuries were reported in 16 per cent of those incidents, but just two per cent of the total required hospital care.
Police use of force includes a variety of things police refer to as “control tactics,” including physical takedowns, using a Taser or shooting a gun.
This year’s total is an increase from 740 at the same time in 2022, and 909 in 2023, but the proportion of people injured has declined.
Staff Sgt. Joe Tassone, from the EPS training unit, described the numbers as good news in the context of increasing violence reported by police.
“There is an increase year after year with the amount of occurrences that we’re responding to, but if you actually look at the control tactic usage year after year, it’s fairly consistent,” he said.
According to EPS statistics, violent occurrences, which include calls where an assault or weapon is involved or there’s a person with a history of violence, jumped almost 23 per cent from 2022 to 2023. EPS recorded another 15 per cent year-over-year increase in 2024.
The Edmonton Police Service has started implementing body-worn cameras to nearly 300 of its officers. The goal is more transparency, but some wonder what impact they will have.
EPS requires officers to file reports related to use of force, separated into two categories: times an officer “displayed” but didn’t use force — like drawing a gun but not using it. The other category covers incidents where force was used, and also includes pointing a gun at someone, even if the officer didn’t shoot.
Tassone said the force is rolling out new training to better equip officers to recognize when someone is in crisis, and give them more tools to respond.
“The more options we can provide our members, then they have the ability to de-escalate situations, especially when they have time and distance,” he said.
“Then that actually gives them a better reactionary gap, so to speak, which again allows them to think and make better decisions under stress.”
Police watchdog investigations
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is investigating eight incidents from this year in which people were injured or killed after encounters with EPS.
There have been four fatal shootings involving EPS since mid-June, including the June 29 shooting of Mathios Arkangelo. His family filed a lawsuit against four officers and EPS Chief Dale McFee.
Arkangelo’s family, as well as others in Edmonton, have called for the officer who shot Arkangelo to be taken off the job. But according to EPS, after initially being placed on leave, the officer returned to active duty after finishing an EPS reintegration program.
McFee said Thursday that when he makes decisions about officers’ duty status, “it’s not based on social media,” and asked that people give ASIRT time to complete the investigation fairly.
“The test for putting somebody on leave is set out in the Police Act and police service regulation. It’s not something that the chief can unilaterally decide to do based on personal and public opinion,” he said.
“The test for relieving somebody without pay requires the chief to show that there is a reasonable suspicion that the officer committed a disciplinary offence, that there are exceptional circumstances. This must be based on evidence.”
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