(Toronto Star – Editorial) – How much more prodding does Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government need before it moves decisively to control the fast-growing use of stun guns by police in this country?
The RCMP alone has more than 2,800 such weapons, which deliver 50,000 volts of electricity. Former RCMP commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli recently urged the force to stop using the guns.”I’m not sure that having Tasers is worth the negative impact … in terms of public perception,” he said in a recent interview.
And last week the Star`s Tonda MacCharles reported that a study ordered by RCMP Commissioner Bill Elliott concludes the force did not do “due diligence” when it first approved the guns. The RCMP relied too much on advice by the gun’s manufacturer, failed to consult widely enough with the medical community, and failed to treat the gun as the “prohibited firearm” that it is, in law. That’s just plain sloppy.
If the Mounties rushed to embrace stun guns without proper study and safeguards, are other forces better informed? Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair wants to equip about 3,000 of his 5,500 officers with stun guns. Across Canada, 170 police agencies use the guns.
Clearly, it is time for Ottawa to draw up “national standards,” as the RCMP report rightly proposes. No fewer than 22 people have died after being stunned, though the deaths haven’t been linked directly to the use of the stun guns. Even so, the RCMP has had to remind officers that they may not use stun guns on people who are merely passive resisters or belligerent.
What would national standards be? RCMP public complaints commissioner Paul Kennedy has sensibly urged that only seasoned officers should have the guns and medical help should be called in when people are stunned. He wants the Mounties to rein in “usage creep” and to authorize stunning only when people are combative or pose a risk of death or serious injury.
Rules that make sense for the Mounties should apply to all forces. Ottawa has the power to regulate firearms. Harper, whose party claims to champion public safety, should use it.
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