Should London, Ont.'s SWAT team have gone to Dubai? 2 perspectives

The former head of Toronto's police services board says London, Ont., sending officers to Dubai for a SWAT competition raises serious issues, while a former local chief says he isn't concerned about the trip, which comes amid a budget ask of $672 million for the service.  

"Policing budgets have always been contentious, not just in London, but in other cities as well," said Murray Faulkner, who was London's chief for six years before retiring in 2010. 

As CBC News first reported Tuesday, at least five officers travelled to Dubai to take part in this week's United Arab Emirates SWAT challenge, with officers taking on obstacle courses and tactical competitions against teams from around the world.  

In response to questions from CBC News, London police Chief Thai Truong said in a statement the original cost for the trip was quoted at $115,000. After the police service balked at the expense, Dubai offered to reduce the cost to $15,700. It's unclear what that money paid for. 

Truong also said the trip offered important training for the Emergency Response Unit (ERU), which deals with dangerous situations "where human error can have fatal consequences." 

CBC News has since learned London's police union also contributed $5,000 toward the cost of the five-day trip.

'Military' policing model

Not everyone see such trips as a good use of time or money.

Alok Mukherjee spent 10 years as chair of the Toronto's Police Services Board. He has also co-authored a book about police reform. 

He's concerned about what he sees as a growing trend in policing. 

"My concern is the growing reliance on use of force and the growing militarization of our police forces. We need to consider: How does this impact the way that policing happens in our communities?"

Officers who undergo military-style police training in competitions can entrench a policing model that is outdated and often not effective, Mukherjee said. 

"I want to know what are they learning that they're going to bring back and apply," he said. 

But the trip likely provided valuable training and experience for ERU members, Faulkner said, though he admits the timing wasn't great from a public relations perspective, coming during a week when organizations such as London Transit, the London Public Library and the arts community are pushing back about their own budget shortfalls and the amount London Police is getting.  

"Sixteen thousand dollars to go to an international competition to train and compete for the ERU unit, it's money well spent," said Faulkner. "I know it comes at a time when the chief is asking for a huge increase so maybe the optics don't look good." 

During his time as chief, Faulkner said, he sent officers to training sessions that cost far more, seeing it as an important investment.