Ottawa (National Post) - After pledging to restrict its use of Tasers, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is stocking up on the electronic stun guns for distribution to its members in Western Canada.
The force is seeking suppliers to provide 160 new Tasers and holders for replacement cartridges, even amid public concern about the use of the device following several in-custody deaths.
The Taser X26E unit specified by the RCMP in tender documents is available only to law enforcement agencies and replaces an older model that gradually is being phased out. It fires a probe that zaps a 50,000-volt charge, temporarily incapacitating the target.
The order for a new batch of “conducted energy weapons” comes after safety concerns were raised when a Polish man arriving in Vancouver in October died after he was Tasered and pinned to the floor by RCMP officers.
The Mounties contend Tasers remain a preferred alternative to other forms of force and say they almost always are safe. RCMP Commissioner William Elliott said a moratorium on the Taser would put the safety of RCMP members at risk.
But the force last month promised to curb the use of Tasers following an interim report by Paul Kennedy, the head of the watchdog Commission for Complaints Against the RCMP. The RCMP appeared to agree with Mr. Kennedy’s recommendation to restrict Tasers to situations where suspects are combative or risk seriously injuring themselves or others. The force policy now dictates Tasers may be used only on people who show “active resistant behaviour and higher categories of behaviour, e.g. combative or death, grievous bodily harm.”
Human rights monitor Amnesty International says it has recorded more than 290 deaths involving police electric-shock weapons in the United States and Canada from June, 2001, to September, 2007.
The organization calls on law enforcement agencies to stop using them until their safety can be assessed through independent study.
An RCMP spokeswoman said the purchase of new Tasers follows normal procedures.
“There is no embargo or legislation that instructs us not to use it,” Sergeant Nathalie Deschenes said.
“Our members require this tool.”
5 responses so far ↓
1 Justbecause // Jan 22, 2008 at 21:43
No surprise , in the RCMP talk is just that , in reality it means nothing . After the Vancouver Taser incident and the Brown Task report, winds of change faded , its business as usual . As long as the RCMP is on the radar , they say the rights words to appease the public and the membership , after that Status Quo …. The only real fix was a public inquiry into the whole of the RCMP organization. That would have embarassed the Hon. Stockwell Day .
2 speaking_my_mind // Jan 23, 2008 at 02:15
Maybe Stockwell Day would have been embarrassed, but most of the blame for the way the RCMP has turned out rests with the previous Liberals.
It was under the Liberals tenure that the force became less independent, more politicized and like another division of the solicitor generals department.
It was also during their regime that “employment equity” flourished (expanding upon the damage caused by Trudeau and Mulroney) as well as the lame politically correct training program.
I agree that Stockwell Day isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he just hasn’t had time to mess the organization up that badly- even if he tried! The mess we are seeing took years to devolve into. Stockwell, isn’t the guy who caused the embarrassment, he is just the guy who would have to clean up the embarassment. Either way, a no win situation for any politician who must get re-elected.
3 J.P. // Jan 24, 2008 at 19:25
«Blame Game Works»
What has been done in the past is past and what is being done today is the same old, same old.
No one seems to be accountable today and killing someone, is really nothing these days. After all we see it in most of the movies and video games we watch so why should anyone care if the «RCMP» kills one of two and lies about it every now and again.
Just like «HOLYWOOD» it only makes it that more interesting…. what a sick bunch of people we`ve become where even our own word means squat.
Steven Harper, President of the company
Minister of Justice, Awful Quiet
Stockwell Day, Foreman
There`s someone above these people calling the shots and it`s not just their parties either. So it doesn`t matter who you vote in there folks they don`t run the Nations even though they are the Leaders and do very little appart from what they are told to do.
4 speaking_my_mind // Jan 26, 2008 at 23:17
Yes, who you vote for matters less than ever before. Years ago there was a difference between the parties and politicians took a position and stuck with it.
Now you have career politicians whose hug the political centre to get elected again, I think this all started with Mulroney.
5 Justice // Jan 29, 2008 at 16:23
It`s the Love of Money that`s the root of all evil….. not Mulroney and in some places there`s lots of it.
Leaders today are like CAPTINS of SHIPS with a crew.
They don`t own the ship or the cargo all they do is sail the ship to it`s destiny and retire, someone else own it all.
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