Use of force is up with London police. Here's why they say that's the case

CBC News

· Posted: Jul 17, 2025 7:03 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

London constabulary officers reported utilizing unit connected the occupation 17 per cent much often past twelvemonth compared to the twelvemonth prior, according to an yearly study shared with the London Police Service (LPS) Board on Wednesday afternoon.

The study attributed the summation successful usage of unit reports filed by officers to a emergence successful the usage of conducted vigor weapons, much commonly known arsenic Tasers, which the study notes is driven by an effort to bid and equip much officers with the devices.

As with past year, disposable number groups are over-represented successful situations wherever officers usage force,but the study notes there's nary grounds of radical disparity successful cases wherever firearms are pointed, drawn oregon fired, oregon wherever Tasers are discharged.

"We had 337 usage of unit reports submitted which were related to 308 chiseled occurrences and 448 unsocial subjects [in 2024]. That would beryllium an summation of 50 reports from 2023 to 2024," London Police Insp. Angela Johnson said while presenting the study to committee members.

The study presented by Johnson says 2023 saw 287 usage of unit reports filed.

LPS members are required to record the reports when an officer:

• Draws a handgun successful the beingness of a subordinate of the public. 
• Points a firearm astatine a person.
• Discharges a firearm. 
• Uses a limb connected different person.
• Draws and displays a Taser to idiosyncratic with the volition of achieving compliance
• Points a Taser astatine a person
• Discharges a Taser.
• Uses unit connected different person, including done a equine oregon canine successful a mode that results successful an wounded that requires aesculapian care. This is contingent connected the serviceman being alert that the wounded required attraction earlier going off-duty.

Of the incidents successful which unit was used, the study says, de-escalation was attempted 86 per cent of the time. The remainder of the incidents required contiguous action.

The bulk of the usage of unit reports filed by officers successful 2024 came from situations successful which officers pointed firearms astatine radical — a full of 230 times. 

Still, the astir important year-over-year summation came from Tasers, according to the report. In 2024, Tasers were drawn 100 times, pointed astatine radical oregon animals 110 times, and discharged 50 times.

When an serviceman fills retired a report they tin count multiple actions separately, specified arsenic drawing, pointing and discharging a Taser oregon handgun, which explains the ample fig of reports compared to the full fig of incidents.

Police property the increase, successful part, to the push to bid and equip much officers with the devices. As the effect of a conductive vigor limb enlargement programme successful the constabulary service, 352 officers were qualified to usage Tasers successful 2024, compared to 242 in 2023.

The summation besides has to bash with the reporting requirements constabulary adhere to, according to LPS Deputy Chief Treena MacSween.

She said officers without Tasers much often person to physically restrain suspects, and if nary injuries are sustained determination is nary request to study usage of force.

"If that aforesaid concern were to occur and I was trained arsenic a [Taser] operator, I pulled retired my [Taser], didn't constituent it, didn't discharge it, but I displayed it successful the beingness of a subordinate of the public. If helium saw that I had the [Taser] out and ... turns around, puts his hands down his back, I cuff him ... that would necessitate a usage of unit report."

MacSween said the LPS plans to proceed the enlargement of its Taser program, touting the elemental beingness of 1 of the devices arsenic an effective de-escalation tool.

There was besides a marked summation successful canine-related usage of force, accounting for much than 35 per cent of the full year-over-year increase. That summation is attributed successful the study to the canine portion responding to much calls successful 2024 than successful 2023.

Weapons, warrants, intimate spouse unit apical use-cases

The study shows 41 per cent of cases progressive weapons calls, up from 34 per cent successful 2023's report. 18 per cent progressive the execution of warrants, and 10 per cent progressive intimate spouse violence.

The reasons officers claimed to have used unit chiefly involved, successful descending bid -- protecting themselves, protecting the radical unit was utilized against, protecting members of the public, and achieving an arrest.

Of the 448 unsocial radical identified successful usage of unit reports, constabulary believed 82 per cent of them had possession oregon entree to a limb astatine the clip unit was used. 160 of those instances included the content the taxable had, oregon was adjacent to, a handgun.

One idiosyncratic was killed by constabulary successful 2024, according to the report. Last year, constabulary changeable and killed an 18-year-old London man, who they accidental stabbed and killed his past girlfriend.

The study besides said usage of unit occurred much often successful the downtown country than elsewhere.