By CBC News

A new poll suggests public confidence in local police across Canada remains high, despite a year of controversies over alleged police abuses and use of force.

At the same time, there are signs of growing distrust and skepticism.

In an EKOS Research poll conducted during the week of Dec. 10-14 and released exclusively to CBC News, 1,740 Canadians were questioned about:

-Confidence in local police.
-Police performance.
-Whether trust levels have decreased.
-Whether police respect citizens' rights. 

Of those surveyed, 85 per cent said they have a moderate or high level of confidence in police -- despite such high-profile controversies related to tight security at the G20 summit in Toronto, fatal stun-gun incidents and the recent video of a violent arrest and strip-search of a woman by Ottawa police.

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