The possibility of facing violence is a daily reality for police officers, and in the Pembina Valley, no group of officers faces that reality more than the regional support tactical team which is comprised of nine officers from Morden, Winkler, and Altona.

This tactical team, which started two years ago, is the equivalent of a SWAT team; mostly, they issue high-risk warrants for gun or drug seizures. This team receives extra training and then spreads their knowledge around to their fellow officers so they can improve on their use-of-force training.

"Every officer goes through use-of-force tactics at the academy," said Morden Cst. Jonathan Goertzen. Goertzen is the use-of-force instructor for the Morden Police Service and leader of the regional support tactical team.

"We go off the use-of-force continuum," he said, "a set of guidelines we all have to follow as well as, obviously, the Criminal Code of Canada."

Canadian police are required to follow the Criminal Code of Canada and the continuum of force which is taught at the police academy

The continuum begins with officer presence, simply being seen, and slowly builds until reaching "lethal force" which, according to the scale, is justified when it's the only way to protect the public and the officers from serious bodily harm or death.

"If individuals can be talked to," Goertzen said, "that's obviously what we try to do first." However, if a person starts resisting arrest, then the police can use force to a certain level as to place that person under arrest.

"The tough part of being a police officer, " said Goertzen, "is that you have these guidelines you're supposed to follow, but [a situation] may go from "officer presence" to shooting someone within two seconds."

Guidelines in this scenario aren't strict rules, Goertzen said that an officer's judgement of a situation is crucial, but, just like everyone else, the police are held accountable for their decisions and actions.

Use-of-force training for police officers has come under scrutiny, especially in America after the recent shootings of three unarmed African-American men by police. Then, on July 7, five officers were killed in Dallas, TX while on duty at a Black Lives Matter protest. On July 17, three more officers were killed in Baton Rouge, LA.

According to a study, 599 people have been killed by police in America in 2016. Of that number, 88 were unarmed when they were killed.

 

The Regional Support Tactical Team is made up of officers from Winkler, Morden, and Altona. There are four officers from Winkler and Morden each, and one from Altona.