Use of tasers up 77%, report to Toronto Police Services Board finds

October 25, 2018

It’s been more than seven months since the Toronto Police Services Board approved a motion to increase the use of tasers, and Thursday the board will hear how equipping nearly 400 frontline officers with the weapon has affected the city.

An eight-page report will be presented at the monthly meeting. It shows that the use of conducted energy weapons (CEW) has increased, as more frontline constables were choosing to use tasers rather than no weapon at all.

Between May and August, the use of CEWs increased 77 per cent. There was even an instance where an officer tasered someone who was operating a motor vehicle and had “accelerated the vehicle towards [the] officer.”

‘More deadly weapons in the hands of police’

This increase in use is unacceptable, says Nigel Barriffe, chair of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations.

“This is just putting more deadly weapons in the hands of police,” said Barriffe.

“What we believe the funds should be used for is helping to de-escalate folks, especially when we know that many of these confrontations are made up of people who have mental health issues.”

Nigel Bariffe, president of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, says ‘what we need is more de-escalation policies, more de-escalation training.’ (CBC)

The additional devices cost the service nearly $1 million.

Although the board has a Mental Health Sub-Committee, it did not have a chance to provide input on the current findings. The sub-committee and the board’s Anti-Racism-Advisory Panel is expected to provide commentary for the next quarterly report on tasers.

When expanding the use of CEWs was first proposed at last October’s meeting, Barriffe was one of a few people who argued against the devices, saying other frontline workers like teachers, nurses and social workers quell tense situations without weapons.

“Instead of going to de-escalation techniques, it seems to be easier for [police] to think, ‘I’m going to take this weapon out and fire it at this person instead of trying to talk to them,”‘ said Bariffe.

The TPS brought in CEWs in 2002, issuing the only to certain officers, such as supervisors.

Last year, Chief Mark Saunders successfully argued that by giving more police officers tasers, they would have a a less-lethal tool to protect the public and themselves.