Exam 4: The Structure and Roles of the Police

Policing is the largest component of the justice system and gets the biggest slice of the funding pie (approximately 60 percent).

The concept of the "working personality of the police" has been discredited by research studies.

Police work involves the frequent use of force.

What does the term "working personality of the police" refer to?

Identify and briefly discuss two of the common misconceptions of modern police work.

According to the Law Reform Commission of Canada, what are the four key values that form the framework within which to understand police work in Canadian society?

Olivia, a police officer who works in an urban area of Winnipeg, is concerned about the increasing numbers of persons with mental illness (PwMI) she is encountering in her day-to-day duties. Many of the calls she responds to involve PwMI, and she often ends up arresting such individuals. Which of the following factors that influence the role and activities of police is this trend an example of?

Discuss your conception of modern police work and whether or not you previously held any of the common misconceptions of police work prior to reading Chapter 4. Did any of the "truths" about police work in modern society surprise you? What led you to believe in some, or all, of the misconceptions regarding police work? How do you suggest the public be informed about the role of the police in "reality" so as to prevent the development of unmet expectations?

Define and discuss the three major traditional categories underlying the role of police officers. How might these categories have changed over time? How might these categories interact with each other?

Define the term "pluralisation of policing." How does this term relate to the current state of policing in Canada?

Ava is a police officer who works for the RCMP. What form of policing does she practice?

Unlike their municipal and provincial counterparts, RCMP officers are prohibited by legislation from forming a union.

Following several days of a large-scale anti-pollution protest, the Vancouver police intervene to shut the protest down. What type of policing is this an example of?

The RCMP has always been the provincial police force in all of the provinces except Quebec and Ontario.

Discuss how each of the following influences the role and activities of the police: a) legislation; b) geography and demographics; and c) the ethnic and cultural diversity of Canadian society.

What are the key features of the "working personality" of the police?

Every police service in Canada operates under local and provincial political authority.

Trevor is a security officer who works in a firm specializing in neighbourhood security. What form of policing is Trevor engaging in?

One of the primary concerns with the rise of private security services in Canada is their structure of accountability, which is vastly different from that of public police services. Do you think it's appropriate to have different accountability structures for private versus public police services? Would you recommend any changes be made to the accountability structures in place for private security services?

The organizational features of the RCMP distinguish this police force from other police services in Canada. Consider the positive and potentially problematic aspects of these features.