Comm

Born and Raised in Toronto. Currently living in Toronto; Thinking of moving to Vancouver. At one point or another I've been to CFB. Borden (Barrie), Meaford, Trenton, Gagetown (Oromocto), Kingston, Ottawa and I've been to Petawawa. In Ontario it's mandatory that you take French from Grades 4-10.

Problem is the dog, you can't help the guy on the ground when there's a "threat" to bystanders and to yourself. If you attempt to help the guy on the ground without dealing with the dog, chances are you'll wind up in the hospital with the guy on the ground. I assumed they already called EMS/Fire when the dog suddenly charged.

I've been watching this topic for a few days, and some of the comments are actually pretty funny. I have to ask, how many of you have knowledge of police use-of-force procedures or law enforcement procedures? How many of you actually have had some type of military/law enforcement background? How many of you have actually been chased and or come close to a rabid animal? To those who say the cop is in the wrong.... Actually they had every right to use deadly force on an animal. Use-of-Force states that if life of the officer or innocent bystanders are IN DANGER you have every right to apply lethal force as long as you are PROTECTING life. Danger is defined as a situation where lives can be potentially lost. If it's the same video as the August incident, it's pretty clear that the dog was A.) Attacking or attempting to attack a bystander and B.) Attempting or attacking the officer. In those spilt second moments you have miliseconds to come up with a decision. How many of you have had to make a decision where life was on the line? Now could they have called Animal Control? Yes, did they? Most likely. As for the Taser, you have to be damn quick and be damned good to hit a dog moving at that rate of speed. Another thing I don't think most animals (let alone a dog) can handle that amount of voltage. Think about it, if Humans have died because of Tasers at 1,200 volts ( humans have died at 120 volts from normal house hold outlets). Could they have used a taser? Probably but the damage it would do to the animal? Am I say Tasers are a bad tool? No, but they have to be used in a correct manner and be applied in the correct way. If NYPD Taser policy is the same as forces up here in Canada, then only Front-line supervisors and Specialist units will carry them. As for my question regarding rabid animals; I've come close on numerous occassions to rabid animals and believe me, when they come after you, they will not stop until you go down. As for the comment about people being obessed, I'll be the first to say; some of the threads seem overly in favour of police action. However not everyone is overly-obessed. Hell, I have both Military and Law Enforcement experience and I find some of the decisions and actions by other officers and Military folk overly excessive. In regards to the comment about what is "Excessive Force/Unreasonable Force" that is defined as any action that is deemed to be excessive during a confrontation or situation. I.E. Shooting a guy without giving prior warning and indentification is Excessive Force; Tasing a guy then beating the sh** out of him is Excessive and Unreasonable. As I mentioned before this incident does not constitute Unreasonable or Excessive, if the Officer's took every pre-caution and did their due-diligence then they are in the right.

You'd be surprised.... This is where training and using your mind kicks in. I've seen 5 foot something officers and soldiers beat the cr** out of 6 foot something individuals. Comes down to training and your own abilities. I have to disgaree, that's not exactly what they look for if they are deadlocked between two applicants nor is you being a big the number 1 attribute in 21st century law enforcement/military. I'd rather have a 5'3, 130 pound person who is proficient in their job, who is confident (not arrogant), who uses their brain more than they use their fists than a 6'4, 250 pound arrogant, cocky and aggressive watch my back. You also have to factor in, who is going to drag your 250 pound, 6'4 a** if you get hit. Again it comes down to training, assessing your tactical footing, confidence and your own abilities that win the day.

One piece of advice that I give to anyone who doubts their abilities. Never doubt yourself, always be confident and believe that you can attain whatever it is your searching for; in the context of working in either Law Enforcement or Military. Always strive to push your body and mind (especially mind) to it's limits, especially when it comes to physical training, perfecting the art of war or training to overcome your fears, adversaries or martial arts. Again I have to reiterate this state; SIZE AND HEIGHT DOES NOT MATTER. It's a matter of how hard your willing to go, how bad you want to succeed and how hard you push yourself. A 5'0, 100 pound person can be as dangerous and as tough as a 6'8, 240 pound person.

When I did CQC and Hand to Hand Combat in the Army, they paired me up with this 5'0, 90 pound Asian girl. I'm 5'9, 140 pounds; needless to say she dropped me on my a** in five seconds. When I worked for the law enforcement agency in my city, my partner was a 5'2, 130 pound South Asian. He's nicknamed the Crazy Indian for a reason. So no Size and Height doesn't matter, it's how you conduct and analyze the situation. Training also helps, and it also helps to be confident. Not arrogant but confident. No; You'll be doubted and underestimated, people may take advantage of the fact that your 5"3 but ultimately it's how you handle the situation. Take it from a guy, whose worked in both law enforcement and in the Military.

That's the old Metro Toronto Logo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Metro_Toronto_Logo.jpg

You need to be a Canadian Citizen; and believe me it is much costly and time consuming than getting a Green Card. It's all about what makes you happy right?, I never regretted enlisting at such a young age and going back into the military for two years; although if I had a second chance I'd probably choose something other than Combat Arms. Intelligence or Weapons Tech.

I know that you guys take a lot of flack from us non-MP's; and It's no secret that I don't like the MP's much but hey were all on the same team. Likewise, I feel uncomfortable when people thank me. So no need, if anything some of us Non-MP's should be thanking you guys for saving us from ourselves lol. 3-5 as a patrol officer is the general minimum requirement. Likewise you gotta pass an intensive screening process that tests you on your fitness and psychological/mental capabilities. Depends on how big the agency is. Majority of SWAT is made up of part-time volunteers; larger metro areas are full-time members.

I'm over 21 I have experience in the field working for the law enforcement agency in my city. Currently Military but going back to the field.

I understand where you guys are coming from; it was just worded differently in the previous post and I took it as if you guys were saying that cops should be taught to shoot to kill. There is a stark difference in terms. That's one of the differences you learn in tactical training; and that's also a point in contention when debating about Police Tactical Teams (one of the reasons why the RCMP SERT was disbanded). Shoot to kill is often attributed to killing a person as the first means of defense (i.e. the whole shoot first, ask questions later), shoot to stop is attributed as the last resort when dealing with a conflict situation. Obviously the Police and Military are the only two agencies I can think of where the Rules of Engagement are dictated by the situation at hand.

Actually cops are taught to shoot to disable; disable has many different meanings and it doesn't necessarily mean a an arm or leg shot; rather they are taught to shoot center of mass. Again the goal isn't to take a life but to save a life. Thank You; Many people have the opposite opinion and would rather opt for lethal action first rather than deescalate. Obviously if the guy is shooting you, shoot back. We use to joke that if you empty your entire magazine it's less paperwork than if you had fired 3 or 4 rounds. Teaching cops shoot to kill would be constitutionally unlawful. Cops are not soldiers and as such do not need to know the "two to the chest, one to the head" drill.

It's funny because I went to University for Criminology and didn't learn a single thing about police work; everything that I know about police work has been through experience and working on the streets. I live in Toronto, and believe me Toronto Media is much worse. All you have to do is type in G20 Toronto Police and you'll see on the contray type in Occupy Toronto Police and you'll also see what I mean about the media supporting the work we do and bashing it at the same time. Like I said, it's the bad apples who paint the negative impression that everyone has to suffer and live by.

No the media isn't saying that a cop doing their job is automatically in the wrong. Yes the media at times does blow stories out of proportion but to say that the entire media business is out to get cops and out to portray them as evil robots? I dislike the media more than you because they have portrayed both professions that I work in as evil robots but at the same time they have on many occasions portrayed us as caring, loving, individuals who have a tough job to do. Actually, your incorrect the majority of the footage aired by the media is shot by average citizens. So in your logic we might as well shut down google, yahoo, youtube, twitter and facebook, as I mentioned before yes sometimes the footage is cut for "sensationalism" but so is footage captured by the military and police. You honestly believe people are so naive as to actually base their opinions based on a ten word headline? the headline is meant to capture someones attention so that they are inclined to read the article to find out the facts. I guarantee you that the writer in that story will actually explain the situation (guess what it's their job to be accurate). To make that statement is to also say that 99.99% of the time cops are in the right. I've actually worked for the Police, been out on the gang enforcement teams, worked Court Security and done many other great things with them in addition to having served my country for six+ years. I plan on continuing Policing and Law Enforcement but things aren't always what they seem, and that's the thing I tell people who think everything is Black and White and that Cops are all good. Sure there are a lot of good people but there is an equal amount of bad people too, Like you said cops are people which means they have the capacity to be greedy, evil, sadistic, good, bad, humble, modest etc. However the bad cops are often the ones who create the illusion and create the atmosphere as to what people perceive the police to be. Yes the media sometimes gets the story wrong but more often than not they highlight the growing change of the job and the environment. I'll tell you something when society and the population give you the privilege to uphold the law, uphold the values of a democratic society and gives you the power and tools to do that; a lot of people abuse that power and abuse that privilege that's why people have the opinions that they have about the police or military for that matter. Going back it's the bad cops who paint the picture and the rest of us suffer because of that.

Depends what part of the country your from. Here in Ontario, being a cop is one of the highest paying jobs out there (when you factor in paid-duty, over-time, court-time etc.). Again depends on your own experiences, city, perspective. Something I learned early on, nothing is what it seems. I guess the only thing I can say is, it's up to you what kind of person you'll be.

Different countries have their own specific unique set of policing methods and the populace it polices. Similarly different organizations also police different environments. In addition different people have had different experiences dealing with cops; some negative and some positive which unfortunately/fortunately creates their opinion and impression. I grew up in a poor immigrant community where interactions with Police Officers were often negative simply because either the cops didn't understand where we were coming from (face it, a cop who has never faced one bit of adversity trying to deal with people who face it on a daily basis); often the cops who worked the area were often negative. Flash-forward now, Having worked with them for over four years in different areas of the city and in different environments; Clearbin put it best the majority of cops are out of touch with today's generation and environment. I remember working with patrol officers in one area of the city which was predominantly poor, the officer's attitudes created an atmosphere of hate and they were out of touch with the average citizen merely creating an "Us vs. Them" mentality. It was funny because usually it's the other way around where we in the anti-gang/violence unit had that mentality and it would be the patrol officers who had the community-oriented mindset. Which brings me to another point, the reason why many people have negative views of the police is simply because they view the police as an enforcement only organization rather than community building, I remember the first week my supervisor told me "You have the ability to make someone's day go from bad to good". I see the opposite for many officers in that they make someone's day go from bad to worse. It's funny because the military has the right approach, I was taught in the army that it's not all about destroying things and killing things it's about helping people, it's about going the extra mile to win over the hearts of the village, town or city your in. I don't see that in the Police, and that's why many people have the views they do. Case in point, Pride Parade is the largest street parade in the City of Toronto. This year I supported the pride parade by being with the Army in uniform marching in support of equality; passing by I see some of my colleagues who didn't smile, didn't talk to anyone and never once did they have fun, of course I saw other colleagues embrace the parade, however you saw more of the former rather than the later.

That's the standard Police "Academy" course that all recruits have to go through; Municipal and Provincial Police have a 5-6 month course that they attend. After completing the initial recruit training, new officers are paired up with a "Coach Officer" (FTO) for at least 6-10 weeks. It is only after the final evaluation of the Coach Officer can a new officer be certified to work idependantly and only after their probation period (one to a year and a half) are they eligible to receive the "benefits" of their employee service plan.

I've had exposure to all the exciting and "cool" stuff (I worked for the Police) but one of the most impressive sight is when the blue brotherhood escorts my fallen brothers and sisters down the highway of heroes. Truly amazing to watch as the majority of the officers in the procession and the ones standing on the bridge have taken the time out of their day to pay tribute to the fallen. A breath taking sight to behold and be apart of.

That's why many larger urban areas have decided to go with volunteer programs, auxiliary programs and co-op programs as it gives you a glimpse of what it's like to be a police officer working in an urban area. Especially the co-op program offered through high school and post-secondary if your lucky enough to be assigned to an "active" unit and where your evaluators and supervisors want you to see what it's actually like, it can be quite rewarding and quite exciting (I know I did it five years ago) Your right, you can't be prepared to deal with encounters on the street; however the key word in your statement is "training". In addition most ride alongs generally pairs you up with a Sergeant who (depending on who you ride with) will generally not answer active urgent calls and instead your dealing with report writing or non-urgent calls. Note: I'm speaking about the largest city in Ontario.

Liability issues; Larger cities tend to frown upon those with no military or prior law enforcement experience when conducting ride-a-longs. Simply because if sh** actually hits the fan a person with military or prior law enforcement experience can defend themselves and if need be use a firearm and save themselves. In addition the calls for service tend to be more severe than rural areas.

Everyone always compares their skills to others; I know I'm one of them. You have to look at the bigger picture, everyone in this planet has some type of skill set to bring to the table and unless you litterally spend 24 hours a day on a couch, You have skill sets. I spent six years in the Army; and I've worked for a large law enforcement agency. A little piece of advice, I understand that you work the grave yard shift but start to add a work out routine; whether that means waking up an hour or two hours before work to go to the gym. Remember fitness in a profession such as Law Enforcement, Para medicine, Fire Fighting and Military WILL save YOUR life and lives of OTHERS. . If your talking about the RCMP, then actually a couple of years ago they were the least paid law enforcement agency in Canada and it was the Assocation representing the RCMP that started to make a fuss over pay issues because they weren't retaining many members. Again I have my own views and bias towards paying cops 80K a year. Members of the Canadian Forces get paid 15-20 grand less and they are on call 24/7 365 days a year and a moments notice can be sent to some of the most inhospitable places in the world. Paramedics who deal with a lot more than cops get paid 20K less and they don't have protection of any sort. I tell this to anyone who wants to join the Military or Police; You have to have passion and you need to join for a reason other than money, stability and a chance to wear a gun, badge and uniform. Other way around. The RCMP disbanded the SERT because citizens had become worried that Law Enforcement Officer's were being trained to "put one to the head and two to the chest"; that's why DND took over all Counter-Terrorism operations.

To use any use of force weapons you must experience it's effect. Meaning to carry Pepper Spray YOU WILL BE peppered sprayed. It Stings like a mother f****; tear gas is worse though. CFMP doesn't use any Police testing. CFMP is gruelling academically as you have to learn not only the HTA and Criminal Code but also the QR and O's, the NDA, Service Code of Discipline and of course the basics in International Law. This is something that I really have an opinion on. There is no reason why a cop should make 80K+ a year. That is for a different discussion. If you start working out and make it habit then in no time you'll be able to surpass the standards. Quitting smoking also helps. @ Hero Driving a Taxi Cab, I'm sure you must have had conversations with people?, Know how to handle the radios?, Driving Skills?, Communication Skills? Samething with your forklift job, I'm sure you had to co-ordinate between yourself and the foreman; had to communicate where you are going to go and what you are going to do?. Everyone has a skill set whether it be Inter-Personal Skills, Communication or team work. In addition I'm pretty sure you have life experiences whilst operating a fork lift and driving a cab? Policing isn't about shooting people, getting into car chases and wrestling people to do the ground. Majority of situations require you to make judgement calls and solve problems without getting into a fist fight or pulling out your fire arm. Are you training for the physical portion of the examination? Like I mentioned earlier, it doesn't matter about your size. I'm 5'8, 143 pounds and I out run and out lift some of my colleagues who are 6 foot something 250 pounds. Again physical fitness is a balance between endurance, strength and stamina. Yes your size is a disadvantage simply because people bigger than you may wind up trying to use your size against you, however that's where your mental fortitude, quick thinking and judgement comes in.

Size doesn't matter; are you fit? Are you able to do the job which at times require physical involvement and movements? Are you able to handle stress? Are you able to concentrate and make judgement calls under extreme pressures? If you answer yes to both questions then you'll be fine. I've served with huge a** guys who were ridiciously ripped but couldn't run worth a damn and their size became a problem because really if your taking fire whose going to able to drag your 300 pound a*** out of the kill zone? Have you been preparing for the fitness portion? Physical fitness doesn't mean have the fastest times or lifting the most weight; it's about being able to preform your job at a high standard that means being able to run and pull your own weight. Your size is both a strength and weakness. What other skills do you have? I'm sure in those jobs you've mentioned you must have acquired some type of skill set? Just because you are "non-military" does not disqualify you. Nerves is nature's way of telling you that your still in the game because if your too confident then you'll fall like a rock if you don't make it. Too timid and afraid and you'll never try.

That video didn't prove much of anything other than that the "bomber" was working with the CIA/Saudi Intelligence at one time. Doesn't prove that the American government had anything to do with the attempted bombing itself. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57430472/would-be-underwear-bomber-a-double-agent/ The "bomber" was a double agent "playing" for both sides. I'm sure Al-Qaeda offered him some incentive to carry out the attacks it also helps that he was a dedicated and hardcore jihadist who hated the West with a passion. If you read into the actual reports released by two government agencies; you will find that the attack was known for quite some time but US officials did not want to intervene because the "bomber" can lead them to a larger plan for a larger attack. As for this whole 9/11 conspiracy, I don't personally believe in any of these conspiracies simply because there is an explanation for everything. Example: I mean yes the government probably knew of the attacks before hand and just shelved it simply because it sounded absurd or far fetched (I mean who would think of flying two planes into the WTC, a plane into the Pentagon and a another into the White House?) before that the majority of terrorists just hijacked planes, landed and listed demands or blew em up in mid-air. That's the pissing contest between different agencies and government bureaucracy.

No Uniform, No ID (since you don't work for them); you will be outfitted with a vest though for your protection. You'll mostly answer calls that are of a non-life threatening manner. If there is a call where there is a potential for extreme violence chances are you probably won't be answering that call simply because it's a liability issue. Just have fun, soak in as much information as you can. Be observant.