Canadians’ Confidence in Police Remains High, Despite Scandals

A new poll suggests that while most people still trust the police, there is a growing sense of skepticism.

It’s been a bad year for Canadian police forces. With the memory of the tasering death of Robert Dziekanski still fresh in people’s minds, Toronto police were captured using excessive force at the G20 summit and video surfaced of Ottawa officers beating and strip-searching a woman they arrested without cause. Despite these high-profile incidents, 85 per cent of respondents to a new poll said they have a moderate to high level of confidence in the police. However in Toronto, where Chief Bill Blair has come under criticism for his perceived lack of enthusiasm for disciplining G20 officers, 28 per cent of respondents said their trust had decreased. In Ottawa, the number was close to 40 per cent.