December OSCAR - Old Ottawa South

Page 40 The OSCAR - OUR 38 th YEAR DEC 2011
BACKYARD BEAT
By Cst. Khoa N. Hoang
There are many challenges in policing
and the issue surrounding use of
force is one of them. No matter what
topic I’m presenting everyone wants
to know about use of force; that’s the
official terminology when an officer
uses any kind of force on someone
else.
It can be a bit frustrating for
someone like me who is trying to
market the Ottawa Police Service as
an intelligent business, focussed on
strategic forward thinking with effective
technique based training... Don’t
care? Neither do many others.
I’m constantly being asked in no
particular order, “Have you shot anyone?
Have you been shot at? When
will you shoot someone?” And despite
my best efforts to avoid the topic because
there are simply more important
issues, I must concede to the fact that
people are genuinely interested in police
use of force.
Who can blame them for such
curiosity? Television doesn’t help
my cause much. But our police officers
are the only ones walking around
with weapons and expected by society
By Bob Jamieson
If things are going well in your life,
you probably have many things
for which to be thankful. And you
are particularly fortunate if you have
elderly parents who are still in good
physical and mental condition. While
your parents are healthy, you should
to use it at the appropriate time. And
that’s when the challenging part begins,
using it at the appropriate time,
duration, intensity, and legally.
There are many variables that will
determine the effectiveness of a use of
force incident. All of which I can tell
you are very scary no matter how long
you’ve been a police officer. I’ve lost
count at how many people have tried
to fight me, and I’m just happy I have
been able to come home for Christmas
dinner every year.
Once a police officer realizes that
someone is about to attack them, their
body creates a physiological reaction
similar to everyone else. Adrenaline
instantly occurs, fine motor skills become
difficult, and everyone will experience
a loss in hearing and vision
of some sort.
What differs from the general
public is that your police officers go
through extensive training to combat
and control the very physiological
responses that hinder their ability to
react appropriately. Officers are educated
on the human body’s response
to stress and trained to overcome it to
perform their duties. It goes against
human instinct to run towards gun
take the opportunity to discuss matters
of significance - such as their financial
situation.
There are probably many things
you’d rather do than talk about finances
with your parents -but it’s a
conversation you need to have, because
there is a lot that you need to
discover. So, find a comfortable time
shots, but I promise your officers will,
when the time comes.
But physically surviving a use of
force encounter is completely different
from legally surviving. Our officers
have to be able to justify their
use of force, days, months, and maybe
even years after the incident is over.
Failure to survive the incident legally
could not only cost you your job but
the media coverage is sometimes
worse then any punishment you can
have, justified or not.
This is usually when I see disconnect
between the police and the public,
and I admit the police can do more
public education on the Use of Force
Model. But we really don’t have the
time to be teaching it to everyone
either.
The latest Ontario Use of Force
Model was revised in 2004, a circle
shaped diagram that breaks down how
our police officers are to respond during
a perceived incident. Now the key
word is “perceived” because there are
many factors that will play into how
each of us responds to a similar situation.
Depending on your size, skill,
experience, background, and what
in which to talk to your parents, approach
the subject in as unemotional
a manner as possible, and try to elicit
the following pieces of information:
Location of investments - It isn’t
necessarily essential that you know
precisely which investments and life
insurance policies your parents own.
But it is important that you know
some things. Do they work with a
financial advisor? If so, whom? Are
their investments and life insurance
policies spread out among a variety of
financial institutions? You’ll need to
be familiar with these things in case
your parents become incapacitated
or die unexpectedly. You can avoid
“unclaimed” property, including investments,
from slipping through the
cracks if you are aware of these details.
Insurance Coverage for Health
and Medical Needs - Long-term care
and health care expenses can be a major
concern of the elderly. That’s why
you need to know who’s insuring your
parents and where your parents keep
information related to their insurance
policies. You should also have a basic
understanding of any health insurance
program they may have through
a current or former employer for the
payment of doctors’ bills, some prescription
drugs and related services.
And even so, your parents may need
supplemental insurance policies. Of
course, the chances are pretty good
that your parents already know all
these things; nevertheless, it doesn’t
hurt to make sure they’re well informed
and that their health-care bills
are under control.
Existence of a Will - If you don’t
is observed, each of us will respond
slightly differently to the same scenario.
The option to use force can vary
greatly from physical grabbing, to a
gun being fired, and of course everything
in between.
The model’s shape is circular because
situations are dynamic and can
change, requiring officers to constantly
adapt. The core of the model shows
three arrows one after another labelled
assess, plan, and act. Perception and
tactical considerations are a constant
throughout the entire situation.
Taking up the largest space in the
model is a suspect’s behaviour; this is
recognized as the most important factor
on how an officer will respond. A
suspect’s behaviour can range from
cooperative all the way to threats of
serious bodily harm or death. It is
gradually shaded from white to black,
demonstrating that there are many
emotional states within the spectrum.
Police officers responses are expected
to be within the outside rim
of the model, using anything from
communication, which is constant
Cont’d on next page
Talk to Elderly Parents about Their Financial Situation
know if your parents have a Will
now is the time to find out. And if
they don’t have a Will, urge them
to have one prepared. Your parents
have worked hard all their lives and
they undoubtedly want their assets
distributed according to their wishes,
and not according to a court’s decree,
which is what would happen if they
die “intestate” (without a Will). Even
if your parents have a simple Will,
they may still need to take further action.
If you believe they have a sizable
estate or want to give significant gifts
to charitable groups, encourage them
to consult with a lawyer who specializes
in estate planning.
Willingness to create power of attorney
- By creating a durable power
of attorney, your parents will name
someone to make financial and/or
health care decisions on their behalf
should they become unable to do so.
As you might suspect, this is a sensitive
topic, so you’ll want to approach
it with great care. By bringing up
these issues with your parents, you
can gain some valuable knowledge of
their financial situation today - and a
clearer understanding of what you can
do to help them in the future.
If you have questions regarding
this article or other aspects of financial
planning or investments, please
give me call at 613-526-3030. You’re
also welcome to drop in to our December
Open House.
Bob Jamieson, CFP
Edward Jones, Member
Canadian Investor Protection
Fund