I'm Canadian, I'm far from an expert, but here's what I know. I've done bylaw enforcement and been a cruelty officer here in Ontario, but the way I've always understood it is that working in those capacities has afforded me CERTAIN police powers. With those powers however, there has never been any sort of assumption that I am a 'police officer'. As a matter of fact, it was made painfully clear that I was notentitled to any of the privileges or protections that police are. In short, it came down to weighing the risks of every situation very carefully and realizing (many times) that I simply couldn't afford the risk of proceeding.
Things may very well be different out east, especially if you are directly employed by a municipality and actually work as an arm of the police department. Around here the level of officer protection varies from agency to agency. It can range from absolutely nothing to bullet proof vests, bite sticks, spray and yes, even handcuffs. My guess is that you too are at the mercy of your agency. I'm not aware of any provincial or federal regulations covering ACOs.
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