A report presented to the Regina Board of Police Commissioners showed that Regina Police Service officers had multiple occurrences of inappropriate uses of force for the first time since 2018.

The board was presented the Use of Force Year-End 2022 report, which showed four instances where officers were deemed to have used an inappropriate amount of force.

The RPS classifies each use of force into one of the following categories:

Level 1 – Use of Force appropriate and compliant with policy
Level 2 – Use of Force appropriate but less than fully compliant with policy (coaching/training provided)
Level 3 – Use of Force inappropriate but no criminal charges laid (remedial/disciplinary action undertaken)
Level 4 – Use of Force inappropriate and criminal charges laid

In 2022, three instances were deemed Level 3 and one instance of Level 4.

Last year’s numbers mark the first time since 2019 that the RPS had an occurrence of inappropriate use of force.

The report also showed that the total use of force increased by 3.6 per cent compared to 2021.

In 2022 there were 230 separate instances of the use of force, compared to 2021’s 222 cases.

Breakdown down the occurrences, the use of the canine unit led the way as there were 55 instances of canine deployment with injury, up 25 in 2022. Physical strikes causing injury or complaint of injury had the next most occurrences with 30, followed by soft physical control (takedown with injury) with 29.

The RPS has no instances of officers discharging firearms except for one accidental occurrence. However, officers did point their firearms in 17 instances.

Conducted Energy Weapons (CEWS), or tasers, were deployed 20 times, and OC spray or pepper spray was used five times, down from 15 in 2021.