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An interim report examining the use of Tasers by the RCMP recommends that the force "immediately restrict" the use of the weapons.
CTV.ca News Staff
The report, compiled by the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP (CPC), makes 10 recommendations for immediate implementation.
The first recommendation calls on the RCMP to "immediately restrict the use of the conducted energy weapon (CEW)" by classifying it as an "impact weapon."
The change would mean it would only be used when an individual is being "combative" or posing a risk of "death or grievous bodily harm" to the officer, themselves or the general public, says the report.
Currently, RCMP policy classifies Tasers as an "intermediate" device, placing it in the same category as pepper spray.
That classification allows Mounties to use the weapon when someone is deemed as "resistant."
As a result, the Commission feels the weapon can be used "earlier than reasonable."
The report does not recommend an outright moratorium on Taser use by the RCMP, saying that the weapon "has a role in certain situations."
However, it calls for more accurate and meaningful data to be collected on Taser use, saying current policy has evolved without "adequate, if any, reference to the realities of the weapon's use by the RCMP."
It also calls for proper training programs for Mounties on when to use the devices.
Paul E. Kennedy, chair of the CPC, compiled the report at the request of Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day.
"The most powerful asset in a police officer's arsenal is public support. Anything that erodes that support reduces the ability of officers to successfully perform their duties on behalf of the public," Kennedy said in a press release.
"Because of this dynamic relationship, effective policing policies are critical to ensuring public confidence in the accountability of both individual members and the RCMP as a whole."
Day called for the report following the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski last October. Dziekanski died after being Tasered by police during a confrontation at the Vancouver International Airport.
For the full list of the Commission's recommendations, click here.
An interim report examining the use of Tasers by the RCMP recommends that the force "immediately restrict" the use of the weapons.
CTV.ca News Staff
The report, compiled by the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP (CPC), makes 10 recommendations for immediate implementation.
The first recommendation calls on the RCMP to "immediately restrict the use of the conducted energy weapon (CEW)" by classifying it as an "impact weapon."
The change would mean it would only be used when an individual is being "combative" or posing a risk of "death or grievous bodily harm" to the officer, themselves or the general public, says the report.
Currently, RCMP policy classifies Tasers as an "intermediate" device, placing it in the same category as pepper spray.
That classification allows Mounties to use the weapon when someone is deemed as "resistant."
As a result, the Commission feels the weapon can be used "earlier than reasonable."
The report does not recommend an outright moratorium on Taser use by the RCMP, saying that the weapon "has a role in certain situations."
However, it calls for more accurate and meaningful data to be collected on Taser use, saying current policy has evolved without "adequate, if any, reference to the realities of the weapon's use by the RCMP."
It also calls for proper training programs for Mounties on when to use the devices.
Paul E. Kennedy, chair of the CPC, compiled the report at the request of Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day.
"The most powerful asset in a police officer's arsenal is public support. Anything that erodes that support reduces the ability of officers to successfully perform their duties on behalf of the public," Kennedy said in a press release.
"Because of this dynamic relationship, effective policing policies are critical to ensuring public confidence in the accountability of both individual members and the RCMP as a whole."
Day called for the report following the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski last October. Dziekanski died after being Tasered by police during a confrontation at the Vancouver International Airport.
For the full list of the Commission's recommendations, click here.
