The Saskatoon Police Service made 13,713 arrests in 2019, with only 271 incidents of use of force.
Inspector Cam Drever says that works out to 1.97 per cent of the time that force was needed.
A use of force can be anything from using a baton, firing a gun or using a restraint chair, to bringing in a police dog. A third of injuries to suspects was from dog bites.
Drever explains that the restraint chair is used when someone in detention is suicidal or causing self-harm, and only trained officers are able to use the chair and the person must be closely monitored.
A C.E.W. was used 32 times.
Drever says it may seem like they would cause more injuries but actually it causes a lower level of injury than a physical strike.
There were 119 injuries to suspects and 32 hospitalizations, while 26 officers were injured with 1 hospitalization.
A report to the Saskatoon Police Board of Commissioners says public safety comes before the need for apprehension during vehicle pursuits.
In 2019, there were 21 per cent fewer pursuits compared to 2018, with 111 in 2018 and 89 last year.
Early in 2018, the Police Service revised its vehicle pursuit policy to align with provincial standards, which meant pursuits could only be initiated for known criminal code offences, either recent or historic.
There were 9 injuries during last year’s pursuits, all to suspects.
Six of the incidents involved K9 apprehension, 2 were use of force and 1 was from a suspect hitting a berm.
All of the injuries were minor.
The report adds that 62 per cent of all pursuit incidents involved a stolen vehicle, which is a 26 per cent increase from 2018.
