Use of Force & Handcuffing Certification

Use of Force and Handcuffing CERTIFICATION is an online course. It was written by a Court Recognized Subject Matter Expert (S.M.E.) and former Instructor Trainer for the Ontario Police College with over 40 years experience.

Subjects include Criminal Code and Trespass to Property Arrest authorities and case law studies, Use of Force authorities explained in detail, judgement and decision making (crisis intervention) and incident articulation. There is also a full explanation of the new Criminal Code sections on the use of force for protection of people and property.

Use of Force and Handcuffing is arguably the most contentious area of law enforcement and/or security operations. It leads to more law suits, injuries and “heated discussions” about what is or is not appropriate, required, reasonable or justified than any other area of enforcement.

There are many “systems” and methods in all aspects of the use of force in law enforcement, none of which are wrong if they are done in alignment with current Canadian case law findings. There are some tactics and techniques taught however, some being U.S. based, that are NOT acceptable in Canadian Courts. Some are even recommended by Coroner’s Juries to NOT be used such as Carotid Restraints.

A good example of outdated training includes the continued teaching of the Ontario or National “Use of Force” Model. It has been recommended time and again, by courts, Coroner’s Inquests, Ombudsman’s Reports and other experts, to be replaced or removed due to the inappropriate nature of the physical graphic that is the model itself. A full explanation of the reasons and recommendations are included in this course.

The methods taught in this course are “Court Acceptable, Medically Reasonable, and easily learned by anyone. The MOST important factor in this training is that it is “Optically Palatable” by the courts and on social media.

NOTE: This course does not teach “active handcuffing or search” methodologies for two reasons; first, this is a hands on, tactile skill set that can only be learned in a classroom. It takes practice and is a perishable skill set.

Second, most security guard agencies do not want guards making arrests unless its an absolute necessity to defend yourself or others from serious injury. If the violence escalates during an arrest, civilian guards have NO legal mandate to enforce ANY law. This is the prevue of the police. Guards are told to disengage, monitor the suspect and call police.

FACT: Use of Force and Handcuff training is mandated for Police Officers and Special Constables under the Ontario Police Services Act Reg. 926. It is often used as a benchmark standard for training of other Provincial Officers however....
....there are NO legislated training standards in Ontario for Use of Force training for:

• Security Guards
• Loss Prevention Officers
• Provincial Offences Officers
• Municipal Law Enforcement Officers
• Bylaw Officers

Training in the use of force and handcuffs for any of the above is at the discretion of the employer. Ultimately, they are responsible to ensure you get appropriate training, are issued proper equipment, and operate within the law and their policies and procedures. The repercussions are serious for operating outside the law and parameters/limitations set down by the courts.

Your instructor is a former OPC Instructor Trainer and S.M.E. with over 40 years experience in teaching use of force. He also has 25 years experience teaching Security Guards, Loss Prevention and Provincial Officers. He is a Court Recognized Subject Matter Expert in this material, which qualifies him to write and facilitate this online program.

Notes:

This course is delivered virtually through an interactive online platform in conjunction with Burgess And Associates Inc. You require access to a computer with high-speed internet and camera for the duration of each class. By enrolling in this course, you consent to the sharing of your personal information with Burgess And Associates Inc for registration purposes.

Upon successful completion you will receive a certificate through Burgess And Associates Inc. Note, these certificates do eventually expire and re-certification is required.