RCMP Watch

Kelly Shiers (Nova Scotia News) - In the wake of recent publicity about police use of Tasers across the province, new statistics show RCMP officers in Nova Scotia drew those weapons 132 times between 2005 and 2007.

RCMP Sgt. Mark Gallagher said the figures show that in 85 per cent of those cases, police were dealing with a person who was either drunk or high on drugs. In 40 per cent of cases, the person was armed.

“We certainly want to take away from people’s minds that we use (Tasers) at any given moment,” Sgt. Gallagher said. “That’s certainly not the case at all.”

Instead, he said, the weapon is used by officers who are “trying to defuse situations the best way we can with the least injury to anyone.”

The controversial stun guns use electrical jolts and are designed to temporarily incapacitate a person.

This week, a Justice Department review raised concerns about Taser use, including the inconsistent levels of training among law enforcement agencies in Nova Scotia.

The second phase of the review will provide advice to the justice minister on its use. That phase is expected to be complete by the end of April.

Sgt. Gallagher said the use of a Taser “gives you the opportunity to gain quick control of an individual, and once you’ve gained control, you’ve taken away the risk — not only to the member, but to the individual.”

“Really, it takes away a lot of the risk. It takes away a lot of the injuries.”

In some cases, he said, simply removing the Taser from its holster and warning people that they could be jolted is enough. The statistics show that although officers took their Tasers from their holsters 132 times during that period, in 36 per cent of the cases the stun gun was never used.

“The weapon was out of the holster, we used verbal commands and the situation was defused. . . . The presence of (a Taser), yes, does have some effect,” he said.

He said RCMP records show five people received “minor” injuries as a result of the electrical jolts they experienced.

Not included in the statistics is the case of Paul Saulnier, who died in 2005 after he was Tasered outside the Digby RCMP detachment while arguing with an officer. His widow is suing the RCMP for negligence.

Sgt. Gallagher said that case was not included in the injury statistics because reports show there were other medical conditions “that were beyond our control” and that the use of the Taser did not directly result in Mr. Saulnier’s death.

Sgt. Gallagher said 330 officers in the province are trained in Taser use, having completed a 16-hour course, and there are 97 Tasers in detachments across the province.