London Police Service (LPS) officers maintained a consistent rate of using force in 2025 compared to the previous year, with a notable increase in the use of Tasers for de-escalation, as per a recent report presented to the London Police Service Board. The report disclosed that there were 368 use-of-force reports in 2025, up from 337 in the prior year.
Despite the rise in the number of use-of-force reports, the proportion of calls for service resulting in such reports remained relatively stable, according to London police Insp. Angela Johnson. In 2025, police responded to 71,036 calls for service, compared to 67,938 in 2024, with use-of-force reports filed in 0.46 per cent of calls last year, slightly higher than the 0.45 per cent in the previous year.
A total of 477 individuals were subjected to force across 330 separate incidents, with the number of reports surpassing the incidents due to multiple officer involvement in some cases. The report highlighted that officers attempted de-escalation before resorting to force in 91 per cent of instances in 2025, up from 86 per cent in 2024.
Regarding the type of force used, LPS officers drew and pointed their firearms, rifles, and Tasers more frequently in 2025. Notably, Tasers were utilized 186 times in 2025 compared to 150 times in 2024, with 46 discharges recorded. The report emphasized the effectiveness of Tasers in de-escalating situations and attributed the increased usage to equipping all officers with these devices.
In terms of the reasons for using force, the majority of individuals subjected to force in 2025 were believed to have access to a weapon, with handguns being the most prevalent. The report also indicated that Tasers, handguns, and rifles were predominantly used in incidents involving weapons and warrant executions.
Data on race revealed minimal changes from 2024 to 2025, with 61 per cent of incidents involving perceived Caucasian individuals. Notably, incidents involving perceived Indigenous individuals doubled from four per cent in 2024 to eight per cent in 2025. The downtown and Old East Village areas continued to be hotspots where force incidents were more likely to be reported.
For further details, the complete report can be accessed here.
