Over 100 public safety and law enforcement professionals are joining forces in Metro Vancouver this week for the third annual police judo conference.
The Vancouver Police Department is hosting the interactive clinic at Simon Fraser University's Burnaby campus from April 30 to May 3.
"We are looking at better ways to control the human body with an ethical application of force," says VPD Sgt. John Roberts.
The conference aims to give officers hands-on training that will benefit them during violent situations.
"We are proud to be hosting this conference and look forward to sharing ideas and techniques with experts from around the world," said Supt. Martin Bruce, with the force's support services. "The VPD has been a leader in North America in police judo for many years now."
In 2017, the VPD became one of the first police agencies in the country to adopt police judo as mandatory training for new recruits.
Since then, all pre-recruits are required to complete 40 hours of intensive judo training before entering the police academy training at the Justice Institute of B.C.
"Our specialized Force Options Training Unit has really pushed the development and adoption of this innovative technique to help police officers enhance their physical control skills," said Bruce. "Police officers rarely use physical force, but when they have to, judo helps to ensure the safety of the officer and the suspect."
The conference will feature police trainers and judo instructors from around the world, including the U.S., England and Switzerland.
