The Wicked Problems of Police Reform in Canada

The Policing and Mental Health Study provides a national-level picture of the policing operational environment in Canada and addresses police reform in response to mental health, addiction, homelessness, and missing persons. It offers an often-ignored Canadian perspective on the challenges of police reform.

Format: Hardback
Length: 126 pages
Publication date: 12 August 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The Policing in Canada: A National Perspective is a groundbreaking report that provides a comprehensive and insightful look at the policing operational environment in Canada. Drawing on a unique pool of data, the report offers a national-level picture of the challenges and opportunities facing Canadian law enforcement agencies.

The report begins by acknowledging the complex and multifaceted nature of policing, which encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, including crime prevention, law enforcement, public safety, and community engagement. It recognizes that policing is facing a number of "wicked problems," such as mental health, addiction, homelessness, and missing persons, which are ongoing in Canada as well as other nations around the world.

One of the key strengths of the report is its ability to offer an often-ignored Canadian perspective on the challenges of police reform. The authors argue that Canadian law enforcement agencies have been slow to adopt new technologies and practices, such as body-worn cameras and community policing, which have been successful in other parts of the world. They also suggest that there are cultural and institutional barriers to police reform in Canada, such as a lack of diversity and a focus on traditional policing methods.

To address these challenges, the report makes a number of recommendations. It calls for increased investment in training and education for law enforcement officers, to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge necessary to respond to the changing needs of their communities. It also calls for a greater focus on community-based policing, to build trust and relationships between law enforcement and the public.

The report also highlights the importance of addressing systemic racism and discrimination in the policing system. It calls for the establishment of independent oversight mechanisms to ensure that police practices are fair and equitable, and for the development of policies and practices that promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Overall, The Policing in Canada: A National Perspective is a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate about police reform in Canada and around the world. It provides a comprehensive and insightful look at the policing operational environment in Canada, and offers a range of recommendations for addressing the challenges facing law enforcement agencies.

The Policing in Canada: A National Perspective is a groundbreaking report that provides a comprehensive and insightful look at the policing operational environment in Canada.

The report begins by acknowledging the complex and multifaceted nature of policing, which encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, including crime prevention, law enforcement, public safety, and community engagement.

It recognizes that policing is facing a number of "wicked problems," such as mental health, addiction, homelessness, and missing persons, which are ongoing in Canada as well as other nations around the world.

One of the key strengths of the report is its ability to offer an often-ignored Canadian perspective on the challenges of police reform.

The authors argue that Canadian law enforcement agencies have been slow to adopt new technologies and practices, such as body-worn cameras and community policing, which have been successful in other parts of the world.

They also suggest that there are cultural and institutional barriers to police reform in Canada, such as a lack of diversity and a focus on traditional policing methods.

To address these challenges, the report makes a number of recommendations.

It calls for increased investment in training and education for law enforcement officers, to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge necessary to respond to the changing needs of their communities.

It also calls for a greater focus on community-based policing, to build trust and relationships between law enforcement and the public.

The report also highlights the importance of addressing systemic racism and discrimination in the policing system.

It calls for the establishment of independent oversight mechanisms to ensure that police practices are fair and equitable, and for the development of policies and practices that promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Overall, The Policing in Canada: A National Perspective is a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate about police reform in Canada and around the world.

Weight: 408g
Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032283500