Adequacy Standards
Tactical Unit

Policy No: 02/00-53
Effective Date: July 26, 2000

Legislative/Regulatory Requirements

Section 21 of the Adequacy Standards Regulation requires a police service to provide, within a reasonable response time, the services of a tactical unit.

Additionally, Section 21 of the regulation permits a police service to deliver the services of a tactical unit by contracting with another police service, or entering into arrangements to provide this service on a combined, regional or cooperative basis.

Section 23 requires every tactical unit to consist of a minimum of 12 full-time tactical officers, including the tactical supervisor and that a tactical unit shall be able to perform the following functions:

  • containment; 

  • apprehension of an armed barricaded person; and

  • may be able to perform explosive forced entry if it utilizes the services of a police explosive forced entry technician.

Section 24(1) requires, when a board has entered into an agreement to provide a tactical unit or entered into arrangements to provide this service on a combined, regional or cooperative basis, the police service to:

  • enter into agreement with the same police service to obtain the services of its major incident commanders and crisis negotiators who have trained with that tactical unit; or

  • require the Chief of Police to ensure that at least one of the police service’s major incident commanders and crisis negotiators train with the other police service’s tactical unit.

Section 24(2) requires the Chief of Police to ensure that no person is to be a member of a tactical unit unless that person has successfully completed the required Ministry accredited training or acquired the Ministry approved equivalent competencies.  Section 29 requires a police services board to have a policy in respect of required accredited training and equivalent competencies for members of a tactical unit.  

Section 29 requires a board to have a policy regarding the deployment of a tactical unit.  Furthermore, section 25(2)(a) requires the Chief of Police to establish procedures that set out the circumstances in which a tactical unit will be deployed.

Section 29 requires a board to have a policy concerning the delegation of responsibility to the tactical supervisor or major incident commander for determining how many tactical officers are required to be deployed to an incident.  Section 25(2)(b) requires the Chief of Police to establish procedures that delegates to the tactical supervisor or major incident commander the responsibility for determining how many tactical officers are required to be deployed to an incident.

Finally, section 29 requires a board to have a policy requiring that all members of a tactical unit have access to a procedures manual.  Section 25(3) requires the Chief of Police to ensure that the police service’s procedures for tactical units are contained in a manual that is available to each member providing that service.

Board Policy

It is the policy of the Regional Municipality of York Police Services Board with respect to the services of a tactical unit that:

  1. the York Regional Police will provide the services of a tactical unit;  

  2. the services will be available 24 hours a day and within a reasonable response time; 

  3. the unit will consist of a minimum of 12 full-time tactical officers, including the supervisor, who are dedicated to the tactical unit but who, when not training or undertaking tactical activities, may undertake community patrol; and

  4. the Chief of Police will:

    1. establish procedures that set out the circumstances in which the service will be deployed, including the process for obtaining the service and reporting relationships;

    2. ensure that the tactical unit can undertake containment, the apprehension of an armed barricaded person, and explosive forced entry if it uses the services of a police explosive forced entry technician;

    3. develop and maintain a manual on tactical unit services that is available to each member providing this service;

    4. establish a selection process for members of the unit, including ensuring that members who provide this service meet the requirements of the Adequacy Standards Regulation;

    5. ensure the ongoing training of members who provide this service; and

    6. ensure that appropriate equipment, in accordance with the Ministry’s designated equipment and facilities list, is used/available to the members who provide this service. 

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