LPS Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh. (Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Force used in 0.5% of arrests in Lethbridge in 2021: LPS report

Apr 22, 2022 | 10:20 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) says its officers were only required to use force while arresting suspects in a “very small percentage of cases.”

LPS responded to 36,143 calls for service in 2021. Force was not used in 99.5% of arrests last year.

They say, in instances where force was used, 209 subjects were not injured at all, 24 sustained minor injuries that did not require treatment, and 13 received out-patient treatment for injuries such as canine bites.

Subject Behaviour Officer Response (SBOR) reports are required to be completed when force is used as per LPS policy.

In 2021, 177 SBORs were completed, marking a decrease from 2020’s 196 but still an increase from 143 in 2019.

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The use of force report must be filled out when any type of force is used other than cooperative handcuffing or escorting techniques, when weapons such as a firearm or taser are used, when firearms are accidentally discharged, or there is an injury to an officer, subject, or bystander.

Rick Semenuik, Acting Staff Sgt. of the LPS Training Unit, says their members are trained to avoid using force where possible and instead utilize verbal communication, de-escalation and disengagement techniques, incident assessment, and threat identification.

“An officer’s most valuable tool is their voice. When we respond to a call, we’re trained to assess the situation and subjects involved, re-assess as the matter evolves and in most cases the use of de-escalation and disengagement techniques to help gain the benefit of time and options enables a resolution that does not involve any use of force or result in any injuries.”

The report found that, in about 40% of cases where force was used in 2021, the subjects involved were “perceived as being agitated or intoxicated by alcohol or drugs,” 28% were “in a state of crisis,” 19% had, or were reported to have, access to weapons, and eight percent were believed to be suffering from mental illness.

In 2021, LPS added a second Police and Crisis Team (PACT), which consists of an officer and a mental health therapist who assist high-risk individuals and those with chronic issues.

The police service is planning to launch the HealthIM platform this spring, which will give officers a pre-response safety briefing and support their assessment of whether a person should be taken to a designated facility for evaluation.