Police personnel all over North America have been under the scrutiny of a highly-critical lens over the past two years, particularly on the heels of the Ferguson, Missouri anti-police protests emanating from the shooting of Michael Brown and similar events that followed. Many of the incidents that caused the outcry were not the fault of any officer, but unfortunately some were, causing them all to be lumped in to one big ground-swell of concern.
Canadian police services as well have in many cases felt that pro-police community members were giving way to vocal naysayers, leaving officers and their families feeling vulnerable and unappreciated at times.
Sir Robert Peel famously said, “The police are the public and the public are the police.”
Police officers are human. They are members of the very communities they are sworn to protect, as are their family and friends. Most importantly, they do not simply police communities, they police with communities. But is community support and trust waning?
Yes, in some circles – albeit the minority, it is. However the vast majority of community members still trust and value their police. I truly believe they know and appreciate that officers are out there 24 hours a day doing what they can to prevent tragedy; to protect them and their property.
This couldn’t be more obvious to me than it was this past weekend, as I participated in the annual National Peace Officer Memorial on Parliament Hill on Sunday and the preceding “Run to Remember” the day before. It warmed my heart as it does every year, as peace officers, friends and the families of the fallen ran in solidarity through the beautiful city of Ottawa and up the hill to the Memorial Wall. The public waved, cheered, clapped and honked horns non-stop throughout the route.
Then thousands of supporters joined us in a solemn ceremony of remembrance on that same hill, at 11am Sunday morning. They cried as the pipers played Amazing Grace and the lament. Young and old smiled, applauded and voiced their praise as the throngs of police, corrections, customs and conservation officer marched past them. There was no doubt in the minds of any of us that we still have their support, trust and appreciation.
Even more telling to me was that as I walked alone in my dress uniform through the city, prior to and following the event, people smiled and said hello. I met people of all ethnicities and status, from a visiting Superior Court Justice from Manitoba, to families of tourists, to homeless people that were soliciting alms on the sidewalk, I didn’t hear a single negative comment from anyone. Would that happen in other major cities outside of Canada? Seldom, if ever, I would suggest.
Canadian police services can never rest on their laurels and just assume that they are trusted and respected. They are bestowed incredible powers that they must use always judiciously. When they do err – and as human beings they will, it must always be dealt with in an effective and transparent manner, to ensure concerns are properly addressed and that public trust is retained.
The precious members of the public that officers are sworn to protect and do so most often with incredible professionalism and courage, still love their police. In the most difficult and darkest of times, we cannot forget that.
Chris Lewis served as Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police from 2010 until he retired in 2014. He can be seen regularly on CTV and CP24 giving his opinion as a public safety analyst.
