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Use of tasers defended by local police bosses |
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Tuesday, 01 April 2008 |
As the use of tasers continues to be controversial, Taber's police chief and RCMP sergeant do not have concerns regarding use of the device locally.
By Jennifer Elves
Taber Times
Taber's police chief Terry Dreaddy, said the taser was brought out of its holster four times last year, and the local police service did not have any taser incidences in 2006. Last year, he noted, the device only hit a subject on one of those four occasions. Sgt. Dave Ness with the Taber/Vauxhall RCMP, said as far as he is aware, the detachment has only brought the taser out of the holster once in the last year.
"I'm satisfied that the guys take the use of tasers very, very seriously. I know (the) supervisors surely do. We're very, very open. We have nothing to hide. All of the information that has been asked of us (regarding tasers) by the (Taber Police) Commission, we've supplied," said Dreaddy.
Whenever a Taber police officer uses any type of use of force they have to fill out a form. The case is also reviewed by a use-of-force instructor (Sgt. Steve Meggison or Const. Tim Johnson) and then reviewed by Dreaddy or Insp. Graham Abela. Out of the four times the taser was taken out of the holster by Taber police officers in 2007, three resulted in no injuries, and the other case saw the person with minor injuries. Dreaddy noted every time the device is taken out of the holster, it is considered to be an activation of the device and a form is filled out.
On two of the occasions when the device was taken out of the holster by Taber police, it was not activated because it was no longer needed. Seeing the taser being pointed was enough to get the person to calm down. On one occasion the taser was fired but the officer missed hitting the subject. The other episode saw the taser being used on a person who was agitated, intoxicated by drugs and intoxicated from alcohol. The individual was later charged with assault with a weapon.
The two instances, where the person became more compliant after the device was aimed, included a high-risk takedown and a situation where the person was mentally unstable, along with under the influence of drugs. When a Taber police officer used the device but missed the subject, police were dealing with a case of mischief, resisting arrest and uttering threats.
When police were dealing with the person who was mentally unstable and during the high-risk takedown, Dreaddy stressed, officers were rightfully concerned someone could die or be grievously injured as a result.
Ness said in the one case where the device was taken out of the holster by the local RCMP in the last year, the subject was combative and later charged with assault. In the end, the device was not activated, he said. Whenever the taser is used or brought out of its holster, local RCMP fill out an Energy Weapon Usage Report.
The March 27 issue of the Lethbridge Herald reported forms accessed under federal information law were missing essential details from the mounties like whether the individuals hit with the taser were armed at the time and whether they were injured.
Dreaddy stressed the Taber Police Service reports whether the subject was armed and whether they were injured every time. He added every time the local police force has brought tasers out as a tool, officers were dealing with active resisters.
"From a detachment commander's point of view, as long as we're making our submissions correctly, that's what we're supposed to be doing," said Ness. "There is nothing I can do about that (incorrect submissions in other areas). If there are submissions going in incorrectly, if it's brought up I guess to the detachment commander that that is happening, hopefully that would be rectified."
He stressed his take on tasers is they are a less injurious tool for protecting the public than some other devices officers can use.
"I can say from witnessing it's usage before and having it used upon me in training, that it is very effective in stopping a combative person almost immediately. Once that has been done and the taser is deactivated the person can get up again and walk around without any ill effects," said Ness, who saw the device being activated a couple times while working in Wetaskiwin.
He added officers are encouraged to get tasered themselves when taking taser training during job postings. |
