We’ve seen it time and again: the armchair “expert” weighing in where they have little real-world experience.
There used to be a saying that permeated civil Canadian society: before you judge, try walking a mile in someone else’s shoes. It makes sense – after all, how can anyone truly know how or why something happens unless they experience it, right?
This basic courtesy simply is rarely afforded to police in Canada – and now, new research is pulling back the curtain on just how dire the situation has become.
Media and Pundit Commentary Unfairly Negative
A new national study by The Psychological Trauma and Stress Systems (PTSS) Lab revealed for the first time that many public, media, and armchair pundit opinions about policing in Canada are increasingly negative and unfair, with little factual justification.
Led by Dr. Nick Carleton, the study is the first-ever detailed national analysis of serious bodily harm exceeding legally approved standards during police interactions. It details that errors when determining appropriate use of force are extremely rare and occurs at a much lower rate than comparable physical harm in other professions, like healthcare.
In plain language, the study shows that police in Canada act professionally, don’t unlawfully hurt people, and that the media and pundits negatively skew public perception about our police; tricking Canadians into fearing police in favour of clicks and political wins.
It’s not just biased journalism and unethical behavior from experts. This uninformed and skewed (either intentionally or unintentionally) commentary is destabilizing trusted institutions. And in our increasingly polarized world, this is leading to real, lasting issues. It erodes trust between the public and those who serve – an unjustified pause in reaching out to those who are trained to help you in your darkest hour.
Policing Decisions are Complex, Commentary Oversimplifies
Media depictions and public or “expert” commentary often overlook the complexity of police decision-making, especially in high-risk situations involving public safety. The study found that serious harm involving police officers using force found to exceed legally approved standards occurs in less than 0.001% or 1 in 100,000 interactions—yet public narratives frequently blame individual officers.
We’ve all seen the headlines of “Police Officer Under Investigation for X”, but we rarely see the follow up story that the independent oversight agency found that police used appropriate force to protect themselves or the public. In fact, by the time that story is published (if the media even pick it up as they rarely do), the damage is done, and the police officer involved is guilty in the court of public opinion.
Harmful Healthcare More Common Than Harmful Police Action
The report also took a look at the only other comparator dataset available: healthcare professionals. It found, in contrast, that harm during hospitalizations is far more common than in police interactions, and yet, this is more often attributed to systemic issues rather than individual doctors, nurses or staff.
On the flip-side, public, “expert”, and media narratives too-often outright accuse or imply that officers act with malicious intent when someone is hurt. For healthcare workers, similar errors resulting in physical harm are typically viewed as unintended accidents and rarely result in individual blame or public scrutiny.
From 2014 to 2023, serious bodily harm involving breaches of policy or conduct, defined in the study as “Force Exceeding Legally Standard Operating Procedures”, occurred in just 1.89 cases per 100,000 police occurrences (1 in every 53,000). For comparison, avoidable harm during hospitalizations was reported at a rate of 5,566.67 per 100,000 (1 in every 18) hospitalizations.
1/18 vs. 1/53,000. You don’t have to be a mathematician to see which number is bigger.
No, this doesn’t mean the public and media should start demonizing healthcare workers – they are heroes too
Like healthcare professionals, RCMP Members and police officers across the country joined this profession to help people. They’re community-minded, empathetic, and resilient.
The data in this report doesn’t simply mean we should cut our police officer’s some slack, it shows we should be actively celebrating how incredibly safe and professional they are.
A hot take in 2025, perhaps, but one that shouldn’t be.
Police Officer Training: De-Escalation Over Everything, and the Weight of Tough Choices
Police officers are trained to preserve life and only use force when and as absolutely necessary to protect the public and themselves. They follow a detailed and in-depth threat assessment model that guides police actions, focused on preserving life and safety.
Every incident where police officers use force is subject to extensive oversight, including independent civilian investigations to ensure compliance with police authorities and practice.
When police are forced to make difficult decisions in dangerous, high-pressure situations, those moments often haunt them forever – leading to soaring rates of PTSD and other mental health issues amongst police officers (another topic armchair quarterbacks and the media like to stay quiet on).
As this new research clearly shows, the overwhelming majority of police interactions are peaceful, professional, and carried out in service of public safety. Police deserve our support—not judgement rooted in misinformation.
