麻豆传媒映画police will continue to arm officers with rifles at some of the city鈥檚 large public events and block roads with dump trucks to deter any threat of terrorism, says a report going before the 麻豆传媒映画Police Board Thursday.
The report is in response to a formal complaint lodged with the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner that argued such a public display from the police is 鈥渙verkill鈥� and 鈥渋t looks like fascism.鈥�
麻豆传媒映画PD ERT members carrying Colt C8 carbine rifles at Italian Days on the Drive. Courtesy of Twitter @VanAlias / Adrienne Smith
The department has recommended the board dismiss the complaint, which was received in June after police聽聽were deployed at Italian Day on Commercial Drive.
鈥淭he presence of over-armed police is both intimidating and triggering to a lot of the general public,鈥� said the complainant, whose name was redacted from the written complaint, which accompanies the police report. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 make people feel safer or protected, it looks like fascism you would expect in third world dictatorships.鈥�
The complainant noted many immigrants and refugees who have settled in 麻豆传媒映画have come from countries ravaged by wars. The presence of police with rifles makes people nervous, the complainant said.
鈥淥ther minority groups and First Nations people are also triggered emotionally by heavily armed police, depending on their own personal and historic relationships with police and Canada as a country,鈥� the complainant said.
The complainant suggested 鈥渟peed bumps or sand bags or road blocks of any variety鈥� would be more effective in stopping a moving vehicle than rifles. (The complainant did not complain about the presence of dump trucks on Commercial Drive during Italian Day).
The VPD report cited an increase in 鈥渢errorism-inspired vehicle ramming attacks鈥� in North America and Europe in its rationale for deploying officers with rifles and blocking roads with dump trucks.
From 2013 to 2017, terrorists carried out 25 attacks with vehicles in North America and Europe, resulting in 156 deaths and 790 people injured.
More than half of the attacks involved the perpetrator exiting the vehicle used in the crime to carry out additional violence with a bladed weapon, gun or explosives.
鈥淭he VPD acknowledges the complainant鈥檚 concerns that the sight of officers with carbine rifles can be concerning, however, in reviewing best practices and speaking with a subject matter experts, we are satisfied that this strategy is proportional in keeping the department鈥檚聽 public safety mandate,鈥� the report said.
More than 200 public events occur in 麻豆传媒映画each year, with only five per cent requiring additional public safety measures such as rifle-equipped police and dump trucks.
Those events include the Celebration of Light, Canada Day, New Year鈥檚 Eve and the Italian Day event, which was spread over 14 blocks and attracts about 300,000 people.
Remembrance Day events in 麻豆传媒映画have also seen an increased presence of police armed with rifles. The public display is in response to the shooting in 2014 of soldier Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial in Ottawa and the death of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent in Quebec, who was murdered in a hit-and-run by an Islamic extremist.
The report said 鈥渢he biggest advancement in police capability to respond to active deadly threats in Canada鈥� has been the introduction of the carbine rifle.
鈥淲hen equipped with the modern electronic sight, the carbine is both incredibly fast and extremely accurate at distances much farther than handguns, and could achieve a disabling shot, including in crowd situations,鈥� said the report, noting "almost all major cities in North America would include long rifle over-watch where the public has gathered in large public spaces."
The police board will review the report when it meets Thursday at 1 p.m. at the VPD鈥檚 Cambie Street precinct.
