RCMP following provincial directive on Tasers

Edward Hill - Goldstream News Gazette Published: July 30, 2009 9:00 AM

RCMP in B.C. will restrict use of conducted energy weapons, commonly known as Tasers, as requested by the province’s solicitor general.Sgt. Tim Shields with RCMP E division in Vancouver, said all B.C. detachments will abide by Solicitor General Kash Heed’s directive to restrict the use of Taser-type weapons. The order falls out of the recommendations of the Braidwood Inquiry, which was looking into the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski.Shields said the RCMP is reviewing the 546 page report by retired judge Thomas Braidwood, but it will take time “to realize the full potential impact on RCMP across Canada.”“We don’t want a situation where we have one set of policies in one province that are different from another province,” Shields said. “We are the national police force. The goal is unified polices for the RCMP across the country.”The directive creates a number of thresholds that must be met before police can deploy a Taser, such as if a person is causing bodily harm or imminently causing bodily harm, and lesser force options haven’t or won’t work.

It also said officers equipped with Taser-type weapons must have access to defibrillators. Shields said the RCMP’s conductive energy weapon policy is already largely inline with Heed’s directive. Changed about a year ago, the policy dictates Tasers can only be used to stop a threat to public or police safety, Shields said.“The wording it different but the intent is similar,” he said.