Chapter 4 Chapter Summary

This chapter introduces us to the delicate balance that police officers must achieve between enforcing the law and respecting the rights of the individuals whom they encounter. The chapter highlights the evolution of policing over the last two centuries and differentiates among the five primary roles of police officers in Canada. While most members of the public would believe that police primarily spend their time in a crime-fighting role, the truth is that police spend most of their time responding to public order offences that have the potential to reduce our quality of life (even though these acts may not even be criminal).

There is a wide range of police services in Canada—from small agencies employing fewer than 10 officers to large provincial police services and the RCMP. Police officers are expected to representthe populations that they serve. As such police agencies are working to diversify their organizations to better reflect the communities they serve.  A lack of diversity in police personnel puts a strain on building healthy relationships between the public and the police (especially in remote and rural areas of Canada). Because policing is becoming more formalized, officers entering into the force today are better trained, educated, and professional, which contributes to their success as front-line workers.

Police are also moving away from reactive to proactive policing strategies that typically involve the community in terms of crime prevention. Although police are taking on more supportive services in the community, officers often believe that they are in a lose–lose situation. The public supports a crime-and-order agenda but are quite fickle when it comes to police officers who overstep their legal or ethical boundaries. Operating in a professional manner and working on building community support are areas that Canadian policing will continue to improve on in the years to come.