RCMP Staff Sgt. Jerry Nutbrown brings you behind the scenes with a serious of columns taking you behind police work and how it’s done in our community. If you have a question you think needs to be answered in Behind the Bison, send it to admin@borderpulse.ca and we will be sure to share it with him.
I will guess that most people think of risks to police officers as being in physical altercations or maybe a
vehicle collision. While these can top the list of risks, there are a lot more. I’d like to write about some
other risks that police officers face that may not be readily evident to the general public.
Officers work in all environmental conditions so those can certainly create risks as we are expected to be
dispatched almost no matter the conditions. In some extreme conditions, we will not dispatch officers
because the risk is too high. However, like other first responders, officers are working when most other
workers are stood down. When the risk outweighs the possible benefits, officers cannot be dispatched
until conditions change.
For first responders, if we can’t get to where we need to be helping, then we are of no benefit. We have
to get ourselves to the location safely in good condition to be of any benefit.
Besides physical altercations, officers face risk when people we are dealing with have illnesses and
diseases. What promoted this article was a recent incident where there was no physical altercation, but
we found out after that the accused has HIV and when they were arrested, had an open wound on a
hand.
As officers place handcuffs on accused individuals, whatever may be on their skin in that area can
transfer to handcuffs, seats, etc., and vice versa. We do have handcuff sanitizers to ensure a clean set
but then upon use they can become contaminated with deadly viruses. A transfer from an accused can
also take place as fingerprints are taken and this is why for many processes; we wear rubber gloves.
When officers search vehicles or buildings, this presents other risks and challenges. As we are generally
unfamiliar with the locations, slips and falls can occur as we focus on the risk that can be presented from
people while we are clearing vehicles and buildings. I have witnessed numerous injuries from this type
of duty alone.
Seizing property has risks especially if the item is a modified firearm. Modification of firearms poses a
significant risk as the intended function of the firearm can be altered and since we didn’t modify it, we
can’t be 100% certain that we can safety it without it discharging. Other items seized may be unfamiliar
to the officer not allowing for them to handle them in the most risk adverse way possible.
Other risks include dog bites, nails through boots, falling debris, traffic and lifting, as we often lift
awkward or heavy items. We can’t always prepare for every risk as there may not be time and then any
exposures have to be dealt after the fact.
One very real area of risk is mental health, and I can include all first responders in this. We see people
having the very worst day of their lives and this can involve carnage. Mental health can be the most
debilitating area of risk on first responders.
Read more: Behind the Bison – Impaired Operation
