In comparison with Canada, the more pronounced ability to acquire special weapons and tactics (SWAT) equipment in the United States suggests the resulting proliferation of SWAT teams with adequate material resources is likely to continue. This proliferation has stimulated media and public discourses against the “militarization” of police. In Canada, however, the amalgamation of SWAT teams has led to increased standardization in SWAT training, member specialization and protocols of applied practice. We argue that, in comparison with the United States, the proliferation of paramilitary activity is limited in the Canadian policing landscape by public safety governance structures, acquisition processes, and judicial scrutiny. In consequence, Canadian police services are better positioned than their counterparts in the United States to withstand the public scrutiny tied to police tactical responses.

This article seeks to clarify the limits imposed on police use of force. It argues that police use of force must be necessary, proportional and lawful. Police officers' safety practice often leads them to act on mere suspicion and contradicts with the probability-based thinking required by law -there must be reasonable grounds to warrant the use of force. Therefore, this article proposes an alternative use of force model adopted by the Edmonton Police. The Edmonton model has been successful in guiding police officers to focus on objectively discernible facts to support their subjective beliefs to meet the threshold on the use of force.

Most, if not all, police agencies are grappling with budget cuts at a time when demand for their services remains high. Discussions of how to best rationalize police service costs are challenged by the fact that police activities have grown so vast in size and scope that they present a conceptual muddle for would-be cost-cutters. Further, any recommendations for cuts tend to ignore larger and more systemic issues. In this article, we attempt to shed some conceptual clarity by mapping a range of workload and other demands that fall within two general domains of policing activity, termed here ''operational'' and ''administrative'' drivers. We believe that improved understanding of these drivers will shed needed light on how police organizations can best tackle what appears to be an intractable problem.

We present findings from an exploratory study on women’s participation in Emergency Response Teams (ERT). Our findings are based on a qualitative analysis of open-ended questions in a survey of ERT units ( n = 30) across Canada. We find women rarely apply for positions on ERT. While respondent answers cite many of the usual barriers—from “lack of interest” to “physical fitness standards”—our interpretation of these themes suggests that appraisals of the requirements to attain and retain these positions may lead potential women applicants to conclude the requirements are too steep, or too biased in favor of men.