Police Powers II – another review
Or: The Police Services Act in Ontario, and why it’s not at all boring.
This here’s the review as given to the entire class. Going over it on here rather helps me study.
- DEFINITIONS – member of force, police force, police officer, OCCoPS
“member of a police force” means a police officer, and in the case of a municipal police force includes an employee who is not a police officer;
“police force” means the Ontario Provincial Police or a municipal police force;
“police officer” means a chief of police or any other police officer, but does not include a special constable, a First Nations Constable, a municipal law enforcement officer or an auxiliary member of a police force;
“OCCoPS” is an acronym for the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services.
- HIERARCHY
- Govt of Ontario
- Ministry of Community Safety & Correctional Services (Solicitor General – Sol Gen)
- Police Service Act & Corrections Accountability Act
- OCCoPS – Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Service
- Police Service Boards
- Chief of Police
- Police Service
POLICE SERVICE STRUCTURE – OPP
- Commissioner
- Deputy Commissioner
- Chief Superintendent
- Superintendent
- Inspector
- Staff Sergeant
- Sergeant
- Constable
- Cadet
-OCCoPS – Role – All members appointed by L.G.
– Reviews\Monitoring of police services & boards
– Hold inquiries and investigations when requested or on their own
– Hold hearings and adjudications – complaints
– Determine resolutions
– Make recommendations to police boards & chiefs
– Enforce penalties
– Report directly to the Sol Gen
– Can suspend board & chief
– Can remove board & chief
– Can disband police force
– At hearing – evidence must be proven to be clear and convincing before any sanctions taken against officer\chief
– For complainant to ask for a review by OCCoPS – must be in writing within 30 days
– Commissions decision can be appealed to Division Crt – must be in writing within 30 days
- POLICE SERVICE BOARDS –
– PSA states there shall be a police service board for every municipality that has a police force
– Can be 3, 5, or 7 members depending on population base
– 3 member = head of council (mayor or appointee) + person not employed by the municipality + person appointed by L.G.
– 5 member = same as 3 member + council member and 2nd L.G.
– 7 member = same as 3 member + 2nd council mem + 3rd L.G.
– Police Service Boards appoint the Chief and Deputy Chief
– Persons ineligible for PSB = judge, j.p, police officer, defence lawyer
– Responsibilities include – set up objectives & priorities of community with help from chief
– establish policies for effective management of force
– establish policies for the release of personal info
– establish guidelines for dealing with complaints
– direct chief and monitor his performance
– can’t direct chief on day to day operations or give orders to individual officer
– consult with chief on operational costs for force and submit costs to municipal council
POLICE SERVICE ACT –
– Administered by the Sol Gen of Ontario
- Duties include – monitoring of and consulting with Police Service Boards
– monitoring of and consulting with police forces
– develop & promote programs to enhance police practices
standards, and training
– inspect & review of police forces across Ontario
– issue directives and guidelines respecting policies
– Operate the Ontario Police College
- Every municipality shall provide adequate & effective police services that shall include the following Core Services:
1) Crime prevention; 2) Law enforcement; 3) Assistance to victims of crime; 4) Public order maintenance & 5) Emergency response
- KNOW THE CONTENTS OF THE 5 CORE SERVICES
- Under what circumstances does the OPP provide policing services –
WHEN A MUNICIPALITY CAN’T
- Name 3 persons/groups that can ask for the OPPs’ assistance in policing –
1) OCCoPS, 2) Police Service Board, 3) Crown Attorney
- OPP do not normally enforce by-laws except when under an agreement
A review on Conflict Management
Also known as: Ye gods, this is dull, isn’t it?
Well, I’ve got another two midterms today – Conflict Management, which I am by no means comfortable on, and Police Powers II. Best part is, my Word isn’t responding. Joy. On the plus side, I did post some of this stuff up here, so I can at the very least study that part of things, right?
Right?
-sigh-
Well, here’s a rough review. I’m not covering the blatantly self-explanatory stuff, and I’m not covering suicide intervention for the simple reason that I wasn’t present for the first class in it – I’ll be panicking about that once I get to school, and not before. 
Definitions
Define a Crisis:
Refers to person’s feelings of fear, shock, distress about the disruption – not the disruption itself
Crisis is a perception of an event or situation as an intolerable difficulty that exceeds the resources and coping mechanisms of the person
A state of disequilibrium that occurs after a stressor (precipitating event), and the coping mechanisms fail; the person is unable to cope/function
Types of Crisis:
1) Developmental crises (c.f. Erikson). Normal growth of person and developmental stages may leave a person vulnerable and result in an abnormal result. (birth, death, left, retire)
2. Situational crises. Emerge when uncertain, unpredictable event occurs and individual has no way to control it
3. Existential Crises. Refers to inner conflicts/ anxieties accompanying realisations of purpose in life and/or respect, freedom, commitment, etc
Six characteristics of Crisis:
1. A crisis is both a danger and an opportunity. Danger = potential to overwhelm, and result in pathology/ suicide. Opportunity=to seek help and fain from experience, and thus grow.
Three ways one may react to crises
a) cope effectively by self (and gain from experience)
b) change in that they survive crisis, but block awareness and hurt, so it haunts them forever
c) break down psychologically and demonstrate they need immediate help
2. Complicated symptomology
3. Seeds of grown and change (wait, hang one, didn’t we just have this one?)
4. No. Quick. Fix. (so stop asking) No panacea. Pity, really.
5. Necessity of choice
6. Universality and idiosyncrasy (hey, we had this one earlier too!)
The Six individual strengths that may allow a person to be mildly defensible against crises:
1) Intellectual functions. The ability to act decisively and use problem-solving techniques
2) Interpersonal assets. Those who can rely on others for help; possess family and/or friends who offer support
3) Emotional rescues. Ability to help oneself, not fully reliant on others, ability to face problems, endure uncertainty, allow self to express emotions clearly and freely.
4) Hope. Having reason for living and for overcoming problems.
5) Self-motivation. Desire to take care of self, must want to come out as a winner.
6) Healthy personality. Basic personality of being able to ask for help, use help, make decisions, face challenges, enjoy challenges, and learn from past mistakes.
crisis intervention (history of it, signs of one in crisis, factors/causes of violence, appropriate responses)
Problem-solving
CAPRA:
C =Clients, A =Acquire/Analyse Information, P =Partnerships, R =Response, A =Assessment of Action taken
This model of problem solving is used by the RCMP
C
Clients – persons in need; persons to be addressed; direct/indirect clients (suspect or business group) and Communication
KNOW YOUR CLIENTS
A
Acquiring and Analysing the Information
To resolve the incident; to investigate offences requires knowledge of procedure, legislation, etc. Various sources
P
Partnerships
Within community & police field.
Referrals; building relationships with experts, groups,… yet retain control and establish boundaries
R
Response
Four categories: service, protection, enforcement, prevention
Arrest, mediation, referral, use of force, etc
A
Assessment
Of own actions; of outcome of decision; of prediction; establish criteria for the evaluation
Compare sevicie delivered with recognised standards
Learn from your response
You can learn a great deal more about CAPRA here.
Mediation
Parties in conflict should be separated, yet within speaking distance
One officer in charge of mediation
Establish ground rules: each allowed to speak, be heard without interruption, all agree to ground rules
Direct problems – address issues, not personalities
Officer directs flow of conversation
-address each person individually, by name
-ask ‘teller’ to take a few deep breaths before…
Actively listens to each party
No interruptions, unless necessary
Remain in control of emotions
Officer attempts to summarise the perspective of all parties, and requests feedback and/or clarification
Officer requests from parties possible solutions – you do not get to give advice*
Do not ridicule any proposed solutions
Even if opinion is requested, politely decline to comment
Officer asks other party if proposed solution is viable
Once adequate compromise is reached, each person should be asked if they agree to abide by the results of the mediation
Midterms time!
Today, I have at least one midterm. As my second class doesn’t seem to have them, and my third class had the midterm a couple of weeks ago (I think I passed, but I don’t know yet, because he won’t put anything up online), I’m left with just the most terrifying midterm of all. That’s right, it’s the Physical Fitness III one – known to previous years as ‘Defence Tactics’. This is the class where I learn the evils of jumpropeshow to talk to people, how to position myself when talking to people, how to use pressure points, and how to move.
So! Since it shall soon be time for my midterm (with my luck, I’ll be one of the victims, so I think I may pack my painkillers), here’re some quick and dirty notes on the three most painful pressure points.
The diagram I’m working from is annoyingly enough under copyright from the publisher, and not from my teacher, who wrote the book in the first place, so until I can find out about getting a decent diagram going (even if I have to draw one up and scan it in myself), we’ll be working from words only. Probably a good thing though – one of these can kill if used properly, and another of them kills if used repeatedly.
The pain descriptions are what I feel when somebody does it to me.
Repeating requests (or, ah, yelling), are the only way to get through to anybody who is being gone over with these pressure points. This is due to sensory overload, similar to what happens when one is playing a sport and ignores the crowd, for instance.
Going in the order learnt:
Mandibular Angle
An incredibly painful little spot.
Find that point where your jaw meets your ear. Right, brilliant! Now, move a little bit backwards, past your jawline and into your neck, still right by the ear. If you can feel a little indentation, you’ve found the spot.
Now imagine somebody is digging a thumb into that little spot, and it feels almost like they’re trying to scoop out your eyeball from the wrong direction, while they’re yelling at you, right in your ear.
Incredibly painful. This pressure point has a 90% accuracy rate, although field and lab have many differences. Pete suggests that this number is closer to 70% in the field. You do not want to hold onto this spot, or any other, for too long though; the person may get an adrenaline dump, thus blotting out the pain, and lending superhuman strength, and then you’re screwed. I’m not kidding.
This point is made even more painful if used in conjunction with…
Infraorbital
Find your nose. Now find that gap between the middle of your nose and your mouth. Okay, cool, now press into and upwards in that space with the edge of your finger. Feels a bit weird, ay? When done to you, it feels like somebody it attempting to push your nose into your skull by sheer pressure just on that point – and yes, there will still be yelling. Everybody’s spot for this is incrementally different – some may be right on the join, some may be further forward on the nose. This is the second most effective point, and that effectiveness increases when a ‘C-clamp’ is used – that is, both the Mandibular Angle and the Infraorbital simultaneously from one hand.
Hypoglossal
Draw an invisible line down from your eye to your jaw, and then just under the jawbone. Roughly here, you’ll find this rather painful little bugger. Press up with your thumb. Feels a bit weird? Now imagine that somebody has his or her thumb up, and is pushing upwards and outwards and trying to drag your jaw forwards or maybe snap it in half. Ooooow. My personal least-favourite.
Bibliocon
Hey, everybody!
Want a place to chat about books and stuff, without being drowned out by certain sparkling stalkersVampires?
Here’s your chance.
Bibliocon is brand new, and we need new members. It’s fun, it’s cool, it’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys (many things are more fun than a barrel of monkeys, which actually smell more than you would think).
Wanna join? Go on…
Oh, what to pick…
I’m having a bit of a thinky-thoughty moment (yes, I have thoughts. Hush), and I have narrowed my thinkiness down to two specific categories.
1) due South fandom.
2) Copyright law and the Internet – or, rather more specifically, s92(a), 92(c), also known as the Guilt Upon Accusation proposed law change in New Zealand.
Which shall I pick to chat about today… But first, and out of the cut because I don’t want it to be missed:
This lovely webcomicker’s house just burnt down. Yes, really. The gal has nothing, and that’s not cool, but she does have a paypal account, and that is cool. So if anybody feels like visiting the site and helping her out, that’d be seriously awesome. Every penny helps, right?
Feb 14, 2009
I, ah, don’t actually celebrate Valentine’s Day. It’s a thing that I have. Some folks hate Christmas, some folks hate Easter, and me, well, I have this overwhelming apathy towards Valentine’s Day.
But! Today is a day for sharing love and joy about, yes? So we’ll start with things that are simple to love:
1) I love all my IRL buddies.
1b) I love all my Online buddies.
1c) Heck, I just love all my buddies, mmkay?
2) I love the wind.
3) I love sharing differences of opinion and knowing that at the end of the day there’ll be a hug, not an ‘I hate you’.
4) I love my classes.
Have a macro from ihasatardis that just about sums up everything.
(Why yes, I’m in a really good mood, and no I’m not drunk, or even slightly hungover.)