Chapter Eight Notes on Patrol

Learning Objectives

  • Identify and discuss the role of general-duty patrol officers.

  • Review and discuss the relationship between patrol officers and detectives.

  • Identify and explain the various types of patrols and their strengths.

  • Review and discuss the three fundamental authorities given to the police by the Criminal Code of Canada.

  • Describe and assess the purpose and function of the National Use-of-Force Framework.

Uniformed Patrol Officers

  • Backbone of contemporary policing.

  • Highly visible; 64% of officers in Canada are engaged in general duty patrol.

  • Many veteran officers consider patrol work among the best years of their careers.

  • Contradictory role: viewed positively by senior officers, yet lowest rank in police hierarchy.

  • Officers often transition between patrol and specialized units.

General Duty Policing

  • Recognized as generalists engaging in various policing activities:

  • Maintaining order.

  • Providing services, including law enforcement.

  • Crime prevention and deterrence.

  • Apprehending offenders.

  • Enhancing public safety and satisfaction.

  • Non-crime related public services (e.g., traffic control, problem solving).

Patrol Cars

  • Main means of conducting patrol; over 90% of patrol work generated by dispatch.

  • Patrol work mostly non-criminal; only about 7-10% related to crime.

  • Officers learn about known criminal hotspots.

  • Automobile patrols provide maximum coverage and fastest response.

One- vs. Two-Officer Patrol Cars

  • Early patrols usually had two officers per car.

  • Varied practices in jurisdictions; RCMP uses single-officer cars.

  • Police unions advocate for two-officer patrols for safety and efficiency.

  • Some municipal forces have restrictions on single-officer patrols during night shifts.

Foot/Bike Patrol

  • Rise tied to community-based policing.

  • Effective in crowded urban areas, enhancing community contact.

  • Reduction of fear of crime through visibility and engagement.

  • Bike patrols offer stealth, quick response, and a healthier alternative.

Other Modes of Patrol

  • Includes horse, motorcycle, marine, and helicopter patrols.

  • Not all police agencies have resources for these patrols.

  • Motorcycle patrols effective in traffic but can be hazardous.

  • Helicopter patrols assist in surveillance and locating missing persons.

Patrol Allocation

  • Traditionally based on officer experience.

  • Increasing emphasis on community needs and demographics.

  • Busy patrol shifts typically occur on evenings and weekends.

Relationship with Detectives

  • Detectives represent 14% of police roles, focused on criminal investigations.

  • They prioritize serious cases, often relying on patrol officers’ initial reports.

  • Tensions exist; patrol officers perform crucial groundwork for investigations.

Police Officer Authorities

  • Officers carry full authority of the law in encounters.

  • Many resolutions occur without formal invocation of law.

  • Key authority: power to arrest, governed by the Criminal Code of Canada.

Criminal Code Authorities: Arrest and Detention

  • Arrest powers stem from federal and provincial laws.

  • Most suspects are not arrested but issued appearance notices.

  • Section 495(2) outlines considerations for arrest:

  • Confirm identity, preserve evidence, prevent further offences. Three Considerations: 1.) Confirmation of the person’s identity, 2) Securing and preserving evidence, and 3.) Preventing the constitution, repetition of the offence, or commission of another offence.

  • If an officer does not have the reasonable grounds to arrest an individual, they cannot do so.

Arrest and Detention Procedures

Need for warrants when arresting individuals under specific conditions.

  • Arrest warrant: a court-issued document that grants police officers legal authority to arrest a person where there are reasonable grounds that the person has committed a criminal offence.

Officers must inform and explain the reasons for arrest.

Arrest is distinct from punishment; it serves a legal function.

Detention: less than arrest but may lead to arrest; must respect Charter rights.

  • roadside detention is considered an infringement of Charter rights; however, it is an exception to the Charter as it’s considered reasonable and demonstrably justified.


Arrest without a warrant is allowed when:

  • Apprehension while committing a crime

  • reasonable suspicion of having committed an indictable offence

  • reasonable suspicion of being about to commit an indictable offence

Six steps of making an arrest:

  1. Police identify themselves as police officers.

  2. Suspect is informed that he or she is under arrest.

  3. Officers take physical control of the suspect (either symbolic or with a use of force).

  4. Suspect is informed of the reason for the arrest, including any existing warrants.

  5. Suspect is informed of the right to retain counsel, available of legal aid, and the standard caution against giving incriminating evidence.

  6. Police officers will endeavour to ensure that the suspect comprehends the reason for arrest as well his or her rights.

  • Habeas Corpus: The right to be informed of arrest or detention in a reasonable amount of time.

    • legal counsel is not an absolute right

    • trials are likely to be unfair if there is a lack of legal representation (Rowbotham Application)

Search and Seizure Basics

  • Section 8 of the Charter protects against unreasonable search.

  • Search types: pat-downs, body searches, body cavity searches (higher justification needed).

Search Warrant Requirements

  • Search warrants must be issued by a court for specific locations/items.

  • Categories for search include items related to an offense and ongoing criminal activity. CCC s. 48(1). May provide an officer the right to arrest without a warrant in some circumstances.

    • Secondary warrants often need to be issued in cases where additional evidence is found that is considered evidence towards a separate crime.

Exigent Circumstances in Searches

  • Rare emergency circumstances may allow searches without warrants.

    • entering a house to make an arrest, wellness checks that come as part of a 911 call

Swearing an Information

  • Officers obtain search warrants by swearing an affidavit outlining justified reasons for the search.

  • ITO: Information to Obtain a Search Warrant

    • full desc. of items to be searched for

    • statement of the offence involved

    • reasonable grounds to assume that the items are located where the search will be completed

Provincial Offences

  • The Criminal Code does not cover provincial offences; laws may vary by province.

    • The CCC does not authorize the issue of warrants in the course of investigations of provincial laws.

Use of Force Principles

  • Fundamental police power includes the legal use of force.

  • Section 25 CCC governs lawful use of force; Section 26 defines excessive force.

    • Private persons

    • peace officers or public officers

    • in aid of a police officer or public officer

    • by virtue of his/her office

    • only valid when the police are acting lawfully

    • Applies to lethal force as well. Lethal force also has to be proportionate as is use of force generally

Use-of-Force Framework

  • Developed for training; not meant to replace law but to guide officers.

  • Developed as a guide for training

  • Principles include maintaining life and prioritizing public safety.

Priority Calls for Service

  • Dispatch prioritizes calls based on urgency; often exceed response capacity. Discretion must be used when determining how to respond to the call.

  • Different priority levels for types of incidents.

    • First priority: urgent crime in progress; potential loss of life

    • Second: urgent crime in progress but nobody is in danger

    • Third: crime is not happening now but may happen soon

    • Fourth: something occurred within a period of time (eg. break and enter); not a problem at the moment

Police Pursuits

  • Defined as efforts to detain/arrest non-compliant individuals.

  • In Canada, pursuits may be abandoned to ensure public safety.

  • Foot pursuits: if two or more officers are in a pursuit, they will not separate unless they remain in sight of one another

    • safety, distance from the suspect

    • officers cannot follow suspects into enclosed spaces, isolated areas

Active Shooter Situations

  • Police training encompasses rapid response to shooting incidents across various settings.

  • Categories of active shooters: targeted grievances, psychological issues, or terrorist motivation.

  • Immediate Actions Rapid Deployment (IARD)

Next Class

  • Reading: Chapter 9 - Investigations