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Police de-escalate for safety by Tim Whitnell Metroland West Media 25 |Thursday October 5, 2017 | OAKVILLE BEAVER |www.insidehalton.com When the stakes and emotions run high, Halton police say it' s best to slow the situation down. That' s the preferred strategy from a police standpoint, said the manager of the service' s training bureau, who is responsible for overseeing instruction of 700 sworn-duty officers. "For us, de-escalation is part of a greater model of containment," Staff-Sgt. Jeff Sandy told the Sept. 28 Halton Police Services Board meeting. Sandy said containment of an ongoing or active crime scene potentially dangerous to the public, is defined as slowing a situation down. Containment, he said, is the ability to strategically position officers in an area or stronghold to ensure a suspect has no way of escape. It is also seen as an act of moving from a state of high tension to reduced tension. Despite the firepower and technology available to today' s officers, Sandy said it is a less obvious aspect of policing that is the most important. "The No. 1 weapon at the disposal of our officers is our brains and how we think." Sandy showed two real-life videos to illustrate what he believes were less than ideal ways police handled tense and dangerous situations. One video, by a TV news crew, shows a shirtless man in a large Edmonton park carrying a longbarreled gun that he held at his side mostly, but occasionally raised level. He walked for several minutes with police following at a distance. "You're not going to kill me, I'm going to kill myself," the man says at one point as officers, hiding behind objects with their guns drawn, watch the man walk around. It appears little or nothing is said by police directly to the man. Eventually, the man is shot by police near a large tent. He survives. The other video is the infamous footage of the shooting of Sammy Yatim. The 18-year-old was on a TTC streetcar in Toronto in July 2013 armed with a knife. He was shot several times by officer James Forcillo and died. Forcillo initially shot Yatim several times, but was acquitted of second-degree murder; he was convicted of attempted murder for firing multiple more times as the dying Yatim lay on the streetcar' s floor. Forcillo is out on bail and appealing his sixyear jail sentence. "I debated showing the (Yatim) video," Sandy told his audience. "You can't be an armchair quarterback," he acknowledged, but noted policing is a profession, one where you have to try to make constant improvements. Underscoring the importance of training, Sandy said, "The media, rightfully so, questions police actions," he added. Police everywhere are under greater scrutiny from their peers and the public. They are also experiencing an increased frequency of crisis interventions, which requires officers to have see New on p.26 N O FR ILLS WHOLE EYE OF ROUND ROAST c u tfro m CanadaAA Grade beef of h ig h e ro r USDA Select Your definition of _______ Livingl/l/e// E n joyin g Every P o ssib le M om en t W ith Fam ily 1LB STRAW BERRIES TRAY product of U.S.A., no. 1 grade CURES PORK LOIN rolled in cornmeal RAW or COOKED PEELED SHRIMP 36-45 count per lb, frozen 300g SIMPLY JUICE 2.63 L selected varieties There's a certain magic in the moments spent with your family. More treasured than any possession... the spontaneous laughter, the feel of a little hand in yours... these are unforgettable times that warm our souls. At Delmanor, you live your own definition of what makes your life special.Our signature Living We// program offers you the opportunity to do just that, with thoughtfully-designed lifestyle options that maintain good health and create those treasured times that define a life well lived. *Actual Delmanor Resident 1.66 L o r selected varieties, frozen BREYERS CLASSIC FROZEN DESSERT POPSICLE NOVELTIES6-12's SAVE 1.02 COCA-COLA, CANADA DRY or PEPSI SOFT DRINKS 18 x 355 ml, selected varieties FLYER PR IC E S EFFE C TIVE IN ONTARIO STO R ES ONLY. THURSDAY, O CTO BER 5 W EDNESDAY, O C TO B ER 11 n n o fr ills .c a if N O F R IL L S DELM ANOR Glen Abbey I n s p i r e d R e t ir e m e n t LivingTM (9 0 5 ) 4 6 9 -3 2 3 2 1459 Nottinghill Gate, Oakville C o la n g e lo 'sN o F rils O le g 'sN o F rills 1 2 5C ro ss 1 3 9 5A b b e yw o o d A ve n u e D riv e TRIDEL i D elm anor Welcom es Your Pet O A K v iLLE =s 3 1 _______ _ 1 Q EW delm anor.com Explore what Living We// means to you.