Analyzing the Use of Deadly Force by Police in Canada and the United States

Abstract

This chapter examines the similarities and differences in police use of deadly force and violent crime within the bordering nations of Canada and the USA. Violent crime is reflected in a variety of indicators that include the homicide rate of the general public, the number of justified homicides by the public, the frequency of the police use of deadly force, and the murder of police officers by an assailant. The findings of this study highlight the higher rates of violence that exist within US communities and analyze how these rates shape police actions and responses. The findings of this study also underscore the perceived risk of violence for police officers in the United States, which is substantially higher than for law enforcement officials in Canada. This may in part explain why police officers in the United States utilize deadly force in greater frequency than in Canada and other western nations.