Canadian police officer AMA

How do you take your Tim's bud?

Haha sadly I don't drink coffee. I do drink tea/hot chocolate when it's cold out though.

You just broke every stereo type :(

I'll bet he doesn't even apologize when he arrests someone, either.

haha nope when you arrest someone you make sure you have reason to.. therefore no need to apologize.

What do you think is the major difference between Canadian police officers and American police officers?

Biggest difference between American and Canadian police is simple.. Canadians are better educated, and paid more. Most Canadian officers that are hired on have a degree or multiple certifications/college diplomas. Average salary after 4 years of being hired on is about 84k annually not including overtime, this number will likely increase with the coming contract negotiations.

I chose the wrong profession...

If you get into a specialty unit you actually get an 8% wage increase, and clothing allowance of 1100 annually.

They pay for your clothes? And this does not count into your salary?

Correct. You lose overtime hours that are given to those working on the road (80 hrs), but the trade off is if you are in a specialty unit typically you are in plain clothes. So yes they give you 1100 annually for that which isn't factored into your salary.

Ah, right. Like if you are undercover, or something?

My girlfriend's uncle is a police officer in a nameless city and works strictly undercover now (because why send officers to patrol?.... dont ever go there). He only works in plain clothes, and has to look like a hoodlum haha. Very interesting, to say the least. I'd be scared shitless haha. But that's why I work in IT, there's no risks in this field (i guess except dropping things).

Not so much undercover for the most part, but more so to blend in with the general public and not draw attention.

The most interesting thing is how you apply to other positions within the police service. You actually have to submit another resume and application form as if you are applying for a new job, along with references, etc... and in some cases still have to go before a panel of other officers to speak on why you would be good for the position. It can be pretty intimidating, but the amount of positions within the police service are vast.

I doubt many undercover police officers would like the city they work in, and a descriptive physical fact about them, posted online.

You are correct. However, you find that anyone doing any plain clothes work often find themselves changing their appearance on a fairly consistent basis, if they are not actively involved in an investigation.

im glad you get paid well, thanks for the work

Thanks for the good wishes! They are typically far and few between :)

You said that most officers have a degree. Do you have a degree? if so, what in?

I have a degree in Criminology, a police foundations diploma, a diploma for electronics technician and another degree in GIS started.

Needless to say it was alot of money to go through university and college, but well worth it in the end.

Are you pursuing the GIS degree for personal reasons, or does tie in to your career as a police officer?

I ask because I working a CS degree and have recently become interested in the field of GIS.

I initially started my GIS degree before any policing aspirations. I did fairly well in school getting several scholarships for post secondary education. I found at that time in my life I was not ready for university and decided to take a break and work, before going back and completing the other schooling listed above.

GIS can tie into policing if you are interested in a criminal analyst position. Tracking criminal trends over time and creating maps for divisional inspectors/investigators.

[IMG]http://i45.tinypic.com/2zh389k.jpg[/IMG] is proof of me in uniform. Blurred for confidentially. Others I work with may not accept this ama.

Eh you may have partially blown your persec cover...you forgot to blur something...

shhh it's a secret

What was the most dangerous/crazy situation you ever been in?

I took photographs for criminal investigations/break and enters. So I was exposed to numerous autopsies and people in various states of death. I luckily have not been involved in any shootings, although have drawn down on numerous people believed to be armed. (The region I work in has very few murders maybe 10 annually).

Craziest situation I've ever come across is having to cut down a woman in the process of trying to hang herself. I was with a partner literally 200m away when the call came across. Lady called 911 advised she was going to hang herself and left the front door open so that officers didn't need to wake up her sleeping boyfriend upstairs to retrieve her body. She used the nylon packing rope to hang herself from the unfinished ceiling in her kitchen. I ran in with my utility knife cut her down and was able to resuscitate her before EMS arrived.

Wow, awesome. Kudos. Do you know where that woman is now? Or if she's doing fine?

I doubt she is doing fine. She had chronic pain and various other ailments to begin with. I don't often get a chance to follow up with people. Unless I arrest them time and time again. Very rarely do you have people you deal with actually turn themselves around. Sadly once they are set on a goal they typically carry through with it.

Sad that you don't get the time to follow up with people. I know you only have so many hours in the day, not blaming you, just have to wonder how much extra good it would do if you guys really could follow up on stuff like this.

It would totally be beneficial and probably a little more rewarding if we did actually get to follow up on the calls like the one listed above.

K Moral question time, i think you did the right thing by the way. I think the whole concept of not being allowed to end your own life is horrible. Who is any one person to force somebody to live. She tried to kill herself, and you just brought her back into this world that she no longer wants to be apart of, shit i'd be pissed. We do not allow torture in this world, why do we allow people to be forced to live?

That being said, i think a lot of people make snap decisions, or decisions under heavy intoxication, making saving somebody in this situation reasonable, and it is part of your job. But lets say you were in a situation where the person was genuinely depressed and no longer wanted to live, consciously making the decision to die, what would you do if you weren't on the job?

I'm always on the job... once you sign up to be a cop you're a cop 24/7. If something were to go down and I was unarmed and I allowed it, I didn't do my job to protect the people I was sworn to do so.

I think if there was a humane way of someone wishing to end their life and it was legalized and the person was in a capacity to knowingly sacrifice their life then that is a decision they should (in my opinion) be able to make.

Have you ever done a desk pop?

I have not... but I know of people that have had their gun go off unexpectedly in various locations around the station. I'm sure this story is common with other services as well.

Wait, seriously? Story please.

They are typically people joking around and acting foolish and then pop... uh oh... gun holstered and off to the staff sergeants office to get reamed.

That's some pretty poor weapons discipline there. What gives?

even in countries with good weapon discipline someone tries to be a comedian or does something foolish. One persons actions don't represent the people.

I notice a difference in uniforms between American and Canadian cops, mainly that all cops that I've encountered in Canada wear their kevlar vest on the outside, while most of the American cops seem to have it under their dress shirt. Is there particular reasoning behind this?

We have inner vests as well that we could wear, but for the most part I think it's the visibility factor for the public, along with the option for compartments for our notebooks and tactical options that can be placed on the vest.

Canada has stronger gun control laws than the US. That being said, do you usually carry firearms with you on patrol?

Yes. I think Britain is one of the only countries that do not. We carry our Glock 22 on patrol and typically have a C8 or 12 gauge shot gun in our cruiser.

For those who don't know, the C8 is the Canadian variant of the American M4.

So the C is for "Canada" and the M is for "Murica"?

I guess so! :D

Random fact: norwegian police officers do not carry guns. Only in the last few years have they started having guns in their vehicles (locked inside a safe in the trunk). A few years ago, they had to go back to the station if they needed guns, and request permission from police on a higher level than the local chief of police.

interesting I didn't know! and knowing is half the battle.

sounds like you're planning on attacking norway

My moose doesn't get my air miles so I'll likely be stuck here .. until we devise our plan of the flying moose.

Most ridiculous arrest you've made?

ridiculous in what way? As in cheapest arrest charge or as in most ridiculous situation someones gotten themselves into?

The most ridiculous situation someone has gotten themselves into.

I've had a guy break into a beer store through the roof and get locked inside, and instead of having the common sense to unlock the front door kicked up his feet and just drank himself unconscious... that was pretty ridiculous.

Whats the most funniest situation you have ever been in?

There are seriously too many to write. Officers typically find our humour a little darker than most. It makes it easier to deal with the situations at hand.

I remember getting a call for a lady trying to commit suicide, by driving her car into Lake Ontario. I get there to find that another officer was talking to her and didn't have her under arrest yet. I walked up and grabbed her and pulled her out of the car. (apparently all the couples making out/tokin up down at the Lake witnessed her trying to drive into the water in the middle of the winter. She tried to pull a Hollywood move of doing a donut to throw the people off the car that tried to get her to stop.).

I pull her out and she has no shoes on... I ask her where her shoes are and she replies that her sister is wearing them (sister is aimlessly wandering around the parking lot at this point.) Get the female driver out of the car and she won't let go of her purse dog (Dog's name was chomper... seriously chomper.). I finally try and wrench the dog out of her arms to affect an arrest all the while she's yelling get him chomper get him!

Placed under arrest and placed in the back of the cruiser she starts trying to kick out the windows.. .so out she comes again. Her feet were tied so that we can secure them to the floor of the cruiser, does her sister not come up to console her, but puts her hand on my sgt's shoulder. The other officer I was with kinda sees her out of the side of his vision and ended up socking her in the nose.

Finally they get the distressed driver in the car while I deal with the sister. I get a statement and wait for the husband to arrive to pick up his vehicle that we've managed to get out of the lake and back in the parking lot. As the sister goes to leave she thanks me and then goes to come in for a kiss. I obviously push her away, thinking what the hell is wrong with these people.. she walks away and comes back saying she forgot something.. and again tries to make out with me.. needless to say a funny funny evening.

legalization?

I think the only thing holding back legalization of marijuana is a definitive test to tell whether a person is intoxicated by drug while driving. Otherwise the Canadian government would've taxed the hell out of it and sold it for themselves.

I bet a math problem would do the trick

Haha you'd think! I've met some pretty intelligent pot heads, mind you I'd rather deal with a pot head than a drunk any day. They tend to be more compliant, more forth coming and not to mention funnier than any drunks.

What's the scariest situation you've ever been in?

Hard to say on the scariest, there are times where we have had to drive 160km/h+ (100mph) through city traffic to get to an armed person call, etc.

I remember having to deal with an ex-Canadian armed forces member who had beaten his wife pretty bad. Taking three officers to hold him down to effect an arrest as he was about 6'5 260lbs and solid as a rock. We got him cuffed, but trying to get him in the car was another issue. He was fighting us even while handcuffed. In the end it didn't work out well for him, but he laughed the entire time we tried to soften him up to get him in the car. In the end he just stopped fighting and was like... ok fine I'll get in... chuckling the whole time... WOULD not have liked to go toe to toe against this guy solo. (I'm by no means a small guy - 6' 220lbs)

We take care of each other pretty well up here. Most shifts have approximately 18 people working at a time in the area I work. So we ensure officer safety at all times. I'll take a look through my old stuff and see if anything further pops out to tell stories about.

Whats your opinion on the recent Human Rights Watch Report that was released? as an aboriginal from Vancouver Island I would be interested in an officers opinion that isn't stationed in B.C. Also what do you think the procedure should be in terms of handling this? Who should overlook this? (Who should police the police?)

I think it's hard to comment on officers actions outside of Ontario. It's hard to say as I've rarely had to deal with aboriginals although the ones I have dealt with (although drunk at the time) were very courteous and friendly. (My mother is also of aboriginal decent so maybe that's why I'm a bit more tolerant and understanding of things.)

Can you quickly summarize your average day?

Typically it's get to work 30 minutes early. Get dressed, go to parade to see what has been happening while you were away from work. Get your firearm, vehicle and head out. From there depending on what time you are starting at, it could be extremely busy or extremely slow. Do what ever paperwork needs following up from the day before and then start answering calls if nothing demanding is needing attention.

That's a typical day. Obviously different days of the week vary. Thurs-Sat nights tend to have more bars open and can result in more drunk driving calls/bar fights/disturbances.. but any day of the week can result in a jackpot call happening.

I'm not familiar with Canadian laws on gun control; when you say you get your firearm, I'm guessing that means it doesn't go home with you. Is this standard for all of Canada, or is there legislation relating to off duty carry of a firearm by a police officer? What are your thoughts on it?

Texas, United States officer here; thanks for the AMA.

We have to store our firearm at work; however, some specialty units are allowed to take them home, but have to have proper storage. We are not allowed to carry our fire arms off duty. Unless I have received some form of death threat that was possible for that person to carry out I don't see a need to carry it off duty. If something were to happen while I was off duty I would help in whatever capacity I can.

What is a "jackpot call"? btw youre amazing and glad there are Police who are as chill and honest as you!

A jackpot call would typically be a priority 1 or 2 call.. your violent domestic calls, assaults in progress, robbery, firearm related call, officer in need of assistance call... stuff like that.

What was the stupidest thing you've ever caught someone doing and charged them for it?

A guy filming his wife in their bathroom. The guy had some voyeurism fetish, but for some reason would film his wife without her knowledge, eventually it took it's toll on her and she called us to arrest him.. I'm still confused as to why he wouldn't just tell her he was into it that way she wouldn't be so creeped out. They had a kid together so one would think they at some point they had to have sex.

The guy had some voyeurism fetish, but for some reason would film his wife without her knowledge

Could have been because that's what voyeurism is.

correct.. but one would think that being married and having a child voyeurism of your wife would be out of the norm..

Yeah, he should have manned up and filmed strangers.

One would think he would... just not a typical voyeurism case.

In the end he was more worried about the seedling plants he had in his basement than the voyeurism charge.

how do you feel about what seems to be a general attitude of disdain towards officers amongst younger people and especially on reddit a feeling that they are corrupt, evil, brutal, violent. its not my opinion at all personally i think the police are generally pretty good people, but I'm just curious

Just remember, police go home to their families and friends. They have children and generally want to go to work have an uneventful day and in the end probably got hired with the intent on helping the general public. Going into the job knowing that people hate you and what you stand for is a no brainer. You require a thicker skin for this job than any other job on the market. People are going to throw hateful comments, spit at you, try and fight you and worst case try and kill you.

In the end I go home safe along with all my brothers and sisters. If I can help someone in the process better themselves or assist someone in dire need of help then it's been a good day and is well worth the neglect we receive day in and out.

What is the general consensus on weed? Does anyone really care about it anymore?

Depends, some are very against, some are very liberal. I'd say I'm more towards liberal, However; with that being said if you have a pound of it in your car, I'll arrest you. If you're joe schmoe end user with a roach on you, it'll come down to the attitude test.

I may not charge you criminally for the roach, but you'll likely have another charge coming at you from another provincial offence.

The best story I've come across was a drunk guy that I arrested for being drunk in a public place, causing a bit of a disturbance. He was found with a scale and a small baggie on him. I initially found the scale and asked him what it was for and he replied chemistry... seriously the funniest answer I've ever heard... found the weed on him after the fact and just submitted it for destruction and didn't charge him for it. Honestly cops do have a sense of humour sometimes.

So being a Canadian cop, when you're forced to kill someone, is it with kindness?

Amazing I may have to upvote your question :P *your

Have you ever arrested a NHL player? And are Canadians really nicer than Americans?

I have never arrested an NHL player.. but yes an OHL hockey player.

Canadians are generally polite (generally speaking), but I don't deal with the general population for the most part, so the people I usually deal with are assholes to me, which I'm fine with as it's all part of the job. Almost all Americans I have met are nice, but I'm sure if I were to go to the less desirable areas I would find my share of assholes as well.

Side note, the Americans I have met typically decide not to drink with us for some reason. Had an American officer mention something about almost getting alcohol poisoning last time he did .. haha

Give us some steps on staying safe?

Staying safe in Canada or the United States? As I've only been to a few places in the US I can't really comment. As for Canada it's easy. If you associate with criminals, bad things typically will follow. If you associate with good people the only thing you really ever have to worry about are car accidents and other driving like idiots. I'd say that's the only thing you should worry about in Canada.

You always hear of home invasions on TV... they are not home invasions people!!! they are drug rips! I'd have to say almost 95% of the "home invasions" I've gone to are all drug rips.

Do you every say "sorry" to people as you arrest them?

never. if I'm arresting someone it's for a reason and therefore shouldn't be sorry.

What do you think of the rising use of drones by police forces?

What do you think of the idea of mandating that police officers must wear cameras on their uniforms that record continuously and transmit the data to the police station and an independent 3rd party?

I agree that during an arrest they should be transmitting, but I guess the biggest thing is would you agree to someone filming you 24/7 as a civilian?

There would be things you say or do that would potentially get you in trouble with your significant other, boss, friends... that is always the fear with having a camera on 24/7 brings and is no different in law enforcement. Having it on during an arrest makes sense up here though.

How did you get into it when you were just starting out?

I was hired right out of university into my police service. I found that I'm not the typical "A type" personality, so it was a little different for me to move out of my comfort zone and be more authoritative when I started. With that being said I found myself seeing things from a different point of view from some of my co-workers (which often compliments the investigations).

Please provide proof officer.

Were you involved in any of the G20 meeting security?

Have you ever arrested anybody that is/was famous?

What kind of sidearm do you carry?

Image was provided up above. I was unfortunately not involved in the G20 summit. Although I know numerous people that were. It's funny because there is always information that doesn't make it out into the public and police are perceived as being heavy handed. There were numerous attacks on railway switches before the G20 summit, believed to be tests for an actual attack downtown Toronto (Toronto has a major railway artery that runs right through the city). Also it was known that the black bloq were going to attempt vandalism and theft, but it's tougher to tie down who those individuals will be and at what point they will attempt anything.

I have arrest an OHL hockey player, it's amazing to see the strings that try to get pulled in the background to get the person off. In this case the person was basically dropped by the team and lost any future career playing hockey.

As for my sidearm it's a glock 22 .40 calibre.

Is that the standard issue sidearm or do you get to choose your own?

In Canada we don't get to choose our firearm with our services. We are provided a firearm. (in most cases it's the Glock 22, some services use sig's, but the glock seems like the goto firearm.

I was unfortunately not involved in the G20 summit.>

It was proven, in subsequent internal investigations, that the police did not act appropriately at all in the G20 summit mass arrest and internment of 1,000 bystanders who were in fact not protesting at all. They completely and deliberately misinterpreted the directives laid out in the 5 meter rule.

Men, women and children, who were minding their own business, in their own neighborhood, well away from the violent protests, were rounded up in the night without warning or provocation, denied their rights, their phone call, and in true 'kristallnacht' style, placed in a gulag without basic sanitation. They were fed cheese sandwiches which were tossed, unwrapped, onto the damp floor of their makeshift cells.

Police officers removed their IDs and badges and refused to identify themselves. Gangs of roving officers without name tags and badges beat up unarmed civilians, who offered no resistance. A man was deprived of his prosthetic leg and told to hop. A TTC streetcar driver was pulled from his route while adjusting his power coupler. Senior citizen tourists were arrested emerging from a restaurant. Homeless people, who were not protesting and had no knowledge of the protests or the summit itself, were pulled from their park benches. Children as young as 14 were locked in cells with adults and offered no access to child protective services or their parents.

Some of the police guarding the internment sites were unprepared for the grim duty they were being handed and were seen crying and apologizing to their internment victims.

Some victims were deprived of their shoes, and when finally released, into the rain the next night, were not offered so much as a bus token or a phone call.

Police weren’t dealing with a spontaneous riot situation — they were creating it, with gunpoint rousting of sleeping occupants inside the Graduate Students’ Union building at the University of Toronto, hauling off peaceful bystanders by the hundreds, and ignoring a well-established Charter of rights that cover peaceful assembly.

Gerry McNeilly, head of the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) confirmed that of the 356 G20 complaints his office investigated, 107 were substantiated. Ninety-six of those were serious enough to warrant a police hearing.

All the police could say about their actions, at the time, was, "So what? A few people were inconvenienced."

Is this the summit activity you felt unfortunate to miss?

Do you stand behind the officers who took part in these actions?

Had you been included, would you have done the same?

I think the hardest thing is trying to armchair quarterback an event I wasn't taking part in and dissecting actions of other officers that happened at some points in the heat of the moment or within less time that it took for you to write the above paragraphs.

Not everyone will agree with tactics used and during the G20 summit. I think taking some comments out of context and posting it above doesn't mean that officers were not justified in all their actions.

It sounds from the extended article you wrote that maybe you were involved or knew of someone involved. If that was the case it is unfortunate. I know of people personally that went and protested and didn't have any of the above mentioned things happen to them ( and no they weren't officers).

As for whether I would have done the same. I don't know, maybe is the only answer that I can provide as you've gone from the scope of what individual officers were doing to what the general intelligence gathering officers were doing.

Hopefully this helps answer some of the questions you have provided.

I live in Ontario. I am a regular marijuana user. Honestly, most cops seem to turn a "blind eye" to someone smoking a joint in public around here, or at say a festival-type event.

Where do you draw the line on this, if someone is off on a park bench smoking a single joint, not bothering anyone, are you really going to give them a hard time? Or does it depend on the kind of day YOU'RE having?

Basically, what's your stance on something like this.

(Early morning, please bear with the terrible grammar and sentances)

typically it's not about the day I'M having, but more so about how the subject is acts and treats us/the general public.

I was always raised on treat others how you want to be treated. Don't expect respect earn it.

So when another person expects respect immediately from me without earning it, it kind of bothers me especially when they then in turn say something silly like "fuck the police". That person might find that I have freed up some time to do the necessary paperwork for their arrest.

If they were to turn around act civilly there typically is no problem.

Do people really "steal" maple syrup?

Thanks for doing this and thanks for your service.

People will steal anything and everything not bolted down. The most typical items stolen from grocery stores are steaks.

It blows my mind every time I arrest a crack addict stealing steaks. They generally don't eat them.. they just sell the higher quality steaks to support their habit. Just always struck me as odd..

I am currently in the Canadian Forces as a soldier. I want to know what my chances are of getting on the police force around the Toronto area? I did not go to any colleges or universities. Do I have a shot?

Yes, please don't confuse my previous statement regarding policing in America vs. Canada. Yes the majority of new hires tend to have university education or college diplomas, that doesn't negative previous work experience/ life experience. There are many people that get hired in their 30's because they are coming from one career to this field. They have just as good as odds as anyone. The generalization is more so for young guys/girls looking to get hired on straight from highschool/college/university.

What do you think about that 15 year old kid getting shot? Do you see an over all trend of these kids getting younger and younger or is that a one off?

I think it was a one off.. although Toronto is developing some dangerous youngsters. We see 16 yr olds coming into our region that are armed and have been convicted numerous times of firearm related offences.

I would find it hard to say they are getting younger and younger, but more media coverage is definitely sensationalizing the lifestyle.

What do you think is the key to keeping the young kids away from gang life? What percentage of kids in bad neighbourhoods would you say end up or associated with gangs?

I would say that the area doesn't make the kids associate with gangs, it's the lack of parenting. I've dealt with kids that have been arrested numerous times for firearm related offences and every time the parents yell and holler saying we're harassing her son. YET EVERY TIME WE FIND A GUN ON HIM! haha seriously I grew up in a shitty area of town along with 3 close friends and none of us have strayed to the dark side. (the 3 close friends are non-officers.)

If I'm smoking bud in my car and hop out, lock the door and an officer pulls up and starts accosting me, asking if I have weed on me and telling me to open my car. Am I correct in telling him that he requires a warrant? Also, I have no weed on me, just smell.

Well, personally, it would depend on your attitude totally. If you have a small roach, have never been in trouble before and were upfront and honest with me I'd likely have you toss the roach and stomp it, with no charges laid. (maybe just a reference in my notes to me dealing with you). If you came out and decided to be a dick, there are other ways and means of dealing with people in this manner.... don't forget criminal is just one way we can deal with you. I wouldn't waste my time getting a warrant on a roach in a car. I'd just go after you through the highway traffic act, or various other provincial acts and hit you financially.. just saying there are more ways to skin a cat.

Most officers I know pretty well have this stand point. Be upfront and honest and don't be a dick and you will find that you get treated how you treat us.

are you married, if not how has your sex life changed before and after becoming a cop? also how familiar are you with PIPEDA and MFIPPA

I'm married and have been with my wife for 11 years, and have a young son. Sex life has remained the same.. I do know of buddies that have had an increase in their sex life upon becoming a police officer. Something about the uniform attracts the opposite sex.

Not familiar with PIPEDA and MFIPPA at all. If you'd expand I'd be better informed!

Have you ever had a drug bust?

Have I ever been involved or been the subject? haha I have been involved in several smaller operations. Most of the large multi-million/billion dollar drug busts are usually completed by the local drug unit for the service.

As for being the subject of one, no... although there have been officers in the past across Ontario that have been the subject of such investigations.

Do you find general "respect" for cops is declining? I'm from Canada myself.

I ask because when i was smaller I really looked up to police officers (during the 80's) and now my respect is dropping....a lot. With all the media attention, it seems like cops have gotten way worse (as in bullies) or they're just finally being caught as we now have cameras in phones.

I can only comment on from my personal experiences. As a kid I was always taught to respect others, so that included police officers. I don't think that it's being taught or ingrained in the youth anymore or not nearly as much. This could be a result of double income families and parents not being home/getting someone else to care for their children and giving them everything they want.

I think the media has become so wide spread that if an officer farts there will be some sort of media coverage about it. The media often will report on what "facts" they have on hand and never follow up after the fact. So what might seem like police brutality initially is discovered to be that the officer was fighting to retain his firearm, but that never gets aired because bad news sells.. good news doesn't.

A common media phrase is: if it's bleeds it leads.

Are you actually https://twitter.com/NotANark ?

haha! I wish! That is one marvelous mustachio! I'm more of a beard guy than a mustache though.

I have a friend who has been working to find employment as an officer for the last 5 or 6 years. Any tips on who would be hiring?

What events, or days of the year, are the worst for policing in TO?

Most services will be hiring this year. You find that they hire in waves of about 5 years. Some services hiring more often than others... ie. Toronto/OPP.

I'd say being committed to the cause and doing volunteer work is a good way of showing dedication to wanting to be hired.. nothing worst than asking a new potential hire what they have done for the last 4 -6 years and they say looking for work.... and nothing else haha.. DO SOMETHING, ANYTHING!... heck travel the world.. back pack through Europe, get a work visa for Australia and work the beach scene.

All these things help someone be more well rounded and cultured and humble when they are hired on. A humble employee is a good employee.

broke? don't have a job? go on vacation!

some people get work visa's to go work in other countries, etc..

I know there are teaching programs that allow you to go to Korea to teach English and it's kind of what I was trying to explain above :)

How do you feel about bubbles?

Depends on where they are coming from I guess.

What are your thoughts on people j walking?

It's annoying at times, but everyone does it. J walking is usually a city by-law not a criminal offence. Officers always have discretion when dealing with any matter.

What's it like to drive a patrol car, do you drive the limit or just like everyone else; 10-20 over? and are you allowed to listen to the radio or go through a red if you're feeling impatient?

Seriously though, thanks for doing what you do, we all have the upmost respect for you.

For the most part when on active patrol we're going slower than the speed limit. Try looking down a side street the next time you're going 10 over and describe what the street name was and what vehicle was waiting at the stop sign.. It's actually more difficult than you think (unless you're a prodigy and have photographic memory) for the average person.

As for going through red lights, we're subject to all the same laws you are if we're not on a call requiring us to do so. we have to activate our rooftop lights and should (if vehicles are present) activate our siren.

thanks for the kodos!

Views on our current gun laws?

What's the police force's general opinion of Rob Ford?

I would say that our current gun laws are mediocre. Although some think the gun registry was a failure (it definitely cost more than predicted). It did help in solving numerous crimes where firearms were utilized. Additionally it helped find firearms that were used across multiple jurisdictions and were able to be tracked who was trading them to who.

As for Rob Ford, it wouldn't be a police services opinion it would be a personal opinion. I'd say that he needs to think before he acts/speaks. It would save him alot of grief in the long run.

How does your shift schedule work? EI)4 on 4 off 12 hour days

Around how many different police forces are there in Ontario?

I work in a different province and anytime I need anything from Ontario I just call The OPP, and I always get transferred to a different local dispatch. I imagine it is as annoying for them as it is for me to have to transfer me.

Depends totally on the service for schedules. OPP have a continental shift, Toronto has a brutal shift schedule where at points you work 7 days a week in your cycle. The one that most services prefer are the 4 on 4 off with 12 hr shifts.

As for how many services, you can pretty well guarantee that if there is a major metropolis then it's got a municipal service. If the region is big enough there is likely a regional service. OPP covers pretty well everything else in Ontario. As for being transferred to another detachment that's common if it's not an emergency call.

Do all Canadian criminals apologize after their crime?

I've actually had many apologize. I have seen people that fight the police get knocked around and then when asked about their scrapes and whatnot say.. I don't know how I got them, but I'm sure I deserved them... could be merely the area I work.

hey officer, thanks for serving the community.

first of all, do you ever serve hamilton in your work? if so, what kind of rep has hamilton garnered. i know it as a crazy person haven (downtown at least).

also, given that you're totally anonymous, have you ever witnessed any incidents of extreme unnecessary force used by your comrades? reported or not

I don't serve Hamilton although the Hammer is a crazy town. It's got a bad rap, but I have buddies that live down there and work down there.

I have not witnessed any officer I work with use extreme force, but I do know of an officer I work with that has been tucked away in a cubicle because he's a disaster and been charged criminally 3 times.

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I'd say that there needs to be officers working within the hospital system. Whether they are special constables that have limited use of force options or better training for the security staff at the hospitals there does need to be a change. We do get stuck at times waiting with a mental health patient. Maybe a change in having more on demand psychologists that could process patients faster. Most of our calls have us waiting until the on call psychologist gets up has a coffee, eats a meal, lets their pet out.. blah blah blah, before they decide to come do the job they are being paid to do and assess the patient so we can go do our job.

And your second answer is 17.

First off, as a Canadian, thanks very much for your service.

Second, what is the buzz in the police force over this whole Dorner cop-killer thing in the States? Is it acknowledged at all and talked about?

It's talked about, and saddening that someone that would at some point consider you a brother would turn on you. I guess it can happen in any field, but hits home a little more when you know those officers and civilians that died will not get the opportunity to go home to see their loved ones.

Would you rather arrest one horse sized duck, or a hundred duck sized horses?

What if you factor in a duck sized horse?

Are you as crooked as an American cop?

In other words, is there a blue line in Canada too?

I'd say Canadian police differ from that of our US counterparts in that there is a blue line yes, undoubtedly, to say no would be lying.

I'll explain why the blue line exists in the first place. Cop 1 does something they shouldn't (gets pee pee slapped for doing so). Does Cop 2 go and make a formal complaint about the behaviour ... no ... now why? Cop 1 is already getting investigated by the professional standards branch and will likely be found guilty through some way shape or form. Cop 2 COULD add to the case, but in the end the penalty wouldn't differ and now Cop 2 has to work with Cop 1 and rely on Cop 1 to back him up in the off chance of a jackpot call. Do you really want to piss off everyone you work with and have no one back you up on a potential life or death call? It's a tough call... I know of a guy that has been a plague to our service and he's basically been stuffed away in a cubicle to avoid him interacting with the public (which is good for the public and good for all other officers).

The public doesn't realize that officers face potentially three levels of prosecution against them in any wrong doing. There is civil lawsuits, criminal litigation and then the Police Services Act which can also find you guilty even though you were innocent in the civil and criminal courts. Penalties could include demotions, loss of pay, loss of job, etc..

Thanks for taking the time to give an honest answer. That said, something has to change because what's going on right now (at least in the US with prosecution) isn't working. Cops are operating above the law and that's not OK.

Thanks again though for the answer.

In Canada we have the Special Investigations Unit. Any shooting/serious injuries that take place during a police investigation/arrest get investigated by an independent regulatory body. (yes they are often made up of ex-officers, but they are not employed by any service and the investigators that are involved do not investigate anyone they know). They determine whether anything needs to change with police practices and whether an officer is guilty of any wrong doing.