Canadian National Use of Force Framework

The Canadian National Use of Force Framework includes a graphical representation of the various elements involved in the process by which a police officer assesses a situation and acts in a reasonable manner to ensure officer and public safety.

The Framework assists officers and the public to understand why and in what manner an officer may respond with force. As an aid to training, the Framework promotes continuous critical assessment and evaluation of each situation and assists officers to understand and make use of a variety of force options to respond to potentially violent situations.

The National Use of Force Framework is not intended to serve as a justification for officer use of force nor does it prescribe specific response option(s) appropriate to a situation. The Framework does provide a valuable Framework tool to facilitate understanding and articulating the events associated with an incident involving officer use of force.

The word “force” can express a variety of activities. For example, the simple presence of a uniformed security guard is considered an extreme form of passive force, in that it can force a potential wrongdoer to avoid a guarded area. On the other extreme is deadly force. Between the two extremes lies an infinite variety and combination of forces.

Many security agencies and law enforcement agencies refer to this variety of forces as a ‘continuum of force.’ Dictionaries define “continuum” as “a continuous whole, quantity, or series; a thing whose parts cannot be separated or separately discerned.”

Some general categories of force that may typically be included in an agency’s continuum of force include: physical presence, verbal commands, physical (directional) contact, physical touch, serious physical control, and deadly force.

Each situation is unique. Good judgment and the circumstances of each situation (including the availability of a type or variety of force) will dictate the level on the continuum of force at which a person will start. Depending on the circumstances, a person often finds it necessary to escalate or de-escalate the use of force by progressing up or down the force continuum.