I would suggest there is something more specific, and I'll comment in a moment with respect to our officers' discretion. But as the policy clearly indicates, the force used must be reasonable and necessary in the circumstance; and that is a test that is well established and which the courts, over the history of criminal jurisprudence, have applied and interpreted.
I would caution very strongly against the notion that we would write policy and directives that were overly prescriptive. We hire and train intelligent, dedicated men and women and we expect them to exercise discretion. It is not possible for us to write policy and directions that will cover all of the circumstances our officers encounter every day. Some 7,500 people will call the RCMP today for help. We have to have policies that allow our officers to exercise discretion within reasonable parameters, and I believe the policies we have do that.
We are certainly very keen on ensuring that our officers act appropriately and that the explanation of their actions is fully reported and reviewed. We have mechanisms within the force to do that, and there are certainly lots of other mechanisms for that, including the CPC, the courts, and in the case of Mr. Dziekanski, the ongoing public inquiry in British Columbia.
I am very concerned about the notion that we would be overly prescriptive in our policy and directions.