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Scott Tod says the shooting of police officers such as Eric Mueller, who was murdered in the line of duty earlier this month in Bourget, Ontario is very concerning.
Tod, North Bay's police chief says he cannot speak to the circumstances in Mueller's death.
"All I know, he was injured on duty, shot on duty, and murdered on duty, in what the commissioner has described as an ambush," said Tod.
Like many other police officials in Canada, Tod is alarmed by the number of police shootings. Since September of 2022, 10 officers have been killed in Canada in the line of duty with nine of those who were murdered.
"Certainly the instances of mental health, the prevalence of violence within our society, and the ability to use violence against police officers and targeting police officers is a concern to all of us," said Tod.
"Not just myself but all the members of our service and the Chiefs of Police across Canada."
Tod believes work is being done to find out why this has become a tragic trend.
"I don't have an answer to what more can be done but I have seen local efforts in regards to response in Ontario to the OPP officer murdered in January and the efforts that are ongoing right now across Ontario in regards to bail reform and the work we are doing monitoring high-risk offenders in our community who are either on release or on parole," said Tod.
"I feel we are stronger in remembrance of those who have been lost in the line of duty or suffered through the event of suicide in our profession."
Tod believes it is making officers embrace their training.
"What it has also done is it has given us a chance to reflect on our training, the tactical practices that we have as a police service, our equipment and how well we are responding to the deaths that are happening in our community with the knowledge and awareness of the circumstances and what more we can do," he said.
