Stun guns OK’d for Ontario frontline cops

(Update)

Tuesday, the province announced new “use of force” recommendations for police officers across Ontario. But reaction is mixed after the Minister of Community Safety recommended all front line police officers be armed with a taser. Some say the move will save lives; others argue it’s putting another lethal weapon in the hands of police.

Elise Copps has the details.

Ontario’s front line police officers now have permission from the government to carry conductive energy weapons- or tasers.

“The Ministry will make their own decisions for conductive energy weapon use”.

The recommendation from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services is being applauded by some.

“Having a non-lethal option to diffuse high risk situations that would otherwise require the use of firearms is something that we need to provide our police officers with”.

But they are without critics; in 2007, Robert Dziekanski was tasered to death in the Vancouver airport.

The New Democratic Party says the recommendation is premature.

“From our party’s perspective, the Ombudsman is looking at this issue; commenting on the government’s direction”.

The announcement comes just a month after 18-year old Sammy Yatim was shot and killed by a Toronto police officer on a TTC street car.

But the Community Safety Minister says it’s not in response to his death.

“We have been working since I became the Minister. We have a table of experts who were discussing it.”

Giving tasers to front line officers is aimed at reducing the use of guns during police confrontations; a move experts say has worked in the past.

“Just deploying the taser, just displaying it to the subject had the desired effect in descalating the situation. Without any further need for use of force.”

For Stjepan Mesic, whose son Steve was shot dead by Hamilton police in June, it could have made all the difference.

“He’d be alive today had they had a trained police man and an equipped police man with what he needed”.

The province is granting permission, but not providing money. Each police force will have to find funding. Each taser costs about $1,500. The Halton police force has estimated the total cost at between $600,000 and $1.5 million. Hamilton police haven’t crunched the numbers but released a statement saying the recommendation “provides a less lethal option to our officers”. The Chief will be making recommendations for funding and implementation to the Hamilton Police Services Board in the near future.