Ottawa’s police force has gained approval for the purchase of 100 “conducted energy weapons” or CEWs – better known as Tasers – through a sole source contract that will cost taxpayers approximately $200,000.
A report submitted by Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau to the March 23 police board meeting stated that the proposed purchase is part of the two-year development plan, to redistribute and improve front-line patrol.
The police board approved the purchase.
Last year, the board had approved the deployment of CEWs to first-class constables, but the Ottawa Police Service indicated it was now ready to deploy additional Tasers.
Supt. Raj Jaswal acknowledged that the investment for the devices is not cheap.
“This is a sizeable purchase, and these are not cheap pieces of equipment,” he says. “Currently, the bulk of our CEWs are within the tactical unit and emergency, but we believe the potential purchase will improve frontline defence, and can have a staggered deployment to patrol officers and constables also.”
There has been plenty of discussion and controversy in Canada in recent years regarding the use of Tasers within police units.
In 2007, Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski was tasered five times during an arrest at Vancouver’s airport and subsequently died. The circumstances of Dziekanski’s death prompted investigations of the officers’ actions and reviews of protocols governing the use of Tasers.
Former RCMP officer Benjamin Robinson, the senior officer of the four involved, has been convicted of perjury in the case.
Critics argue that Tasers and other high-voltage stun devices can cause cardiac arrhythmia in susceptible subjects, possibly leading to heart attack or death in minutes by ventricular fibrillation.
But Jaswal says the CEW model proposed for purchase, an X2, has been through thorough safety testing.
“The Canadian Council of Academies designates the approved models,” he says. “The X2 has already been approved in 2014, and each model undergoes extensive safety reviews.”
When the original acquisition of Tasers was approved by the Ottawa’s police board in 2014, Bordeleau said he was confident the Tasers would be a benefit to the community.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction in providing officers with the access to a very important tool that not only ensures their safety, but the safety of our residents,” he said at the time.
The report prepared for the March 23 police board meeting stated that the 100 new CEWs were required to improve officers’ ability to respond safely in dangerous situations.
“To support the approved deployment, and in keeping with the plan outlined in the 2014 report,” the report said, “the Ottawa Police Service is seeking to purchase 100 additional CEWs to gradually improve ready access to the device and ultimately, increase public and officer safety.”
Jaswal maintains public and officer safety is paramount.
“Ultimately, there are other options before using force. Sometimes, the mere presence of the CEW is enough to de-escalate the situation,” he says.