Now, if you've read this at all, you're probably aware that I'm of a mind to disarm the police. The Kevlar Vests, Guns, Armour-Plated Hum-V's, they all encourage a sensibility which I don't find in line with what I would consider our countries values.
So I do some research, or try and do some research - it turns out that Statistic Canada doesn't actually track shooting deaths by police. It's convenient to ignore those statistics that are going to reflect poorly on us.
What information I could find - that a minimum of 65 people died through interactions with the police in 2017, (mostly through firearms, I suspect), and in 2016 Calgary police shot and killed 10 people.
Calgary, a city of slightly more than a million people - 10 people shot by police. If you'd like some perspective on that, consider the UK - population well over 60 million people - how many do you think the police shot there in the same year? Make a guess. Look it up.
No police were ever charged, and all were acquitted by ASIRT - which is Alberta's rubber stamp for police state murder.
An estimated 90% of police shootings involved mentally ill or substance abuse issues. Under 15% involved shooting at people similarly armed with guns. Most "weapons" were things like - this past Xmas - an Automobile (officer was "pinned"?? WTF? Who trains these ass-holes?!), armed with a paring knife, armed with a hammer, or, simply, ran at the door...
If you'd argue that police need to protect themselves against "baddies with guns" read the above line again. Canada isn't the US, we have no gun culture. The people they're killing are people that counselors, mental health professionals, crisis intervention counselors, are trained to deal with every day. They don't go to work with guns. The chance of you getting murdered or shot on the job as a police officer are roughly the same as getting murdered in Saskatchewan, and 10 times better than living in Nunavut, the NWT or Yukon. We don't give them awards for heroism, and they LIVE there...
It's time to disarm the police.
A couple of websites for you to follow up with:
Link: https://solgps.alberta.ca/asirt/Statistics/Pages/statistics-charges.aspx - The ASIRT's investigative results made transparent. - Whoops - Nope, only charges and convictions are recorded. We employ these people, we have a right to demand transparency.
Link: https://killercopscanada.wordpress.com/ - Thankfully someone is keeping track.