RCMP Conducted Energy Weapon (TASER®) use down for the second year in a row

Ottawa - 2010-06-24

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The Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP (CPC) today released a special report entitled RCMP Use of the Conducted Energy Weapon (CEW): January 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009.

This report contributes to the CPC's ongoing effort to monitor the RCMP use of the TASER® in the public interest. The report, which included an examination of 696 TASER® usage reports, concluded that:

  • TASER® use (i.e. threatened or actual deployment of weapon) dropped 38% in 2009 and continued a downward trend evidenced in previous years.
  • TASERs® have increasingly been used as a means of deterrence and a tool for compliance. For the first time ever, actual deployments (i.e. push stun or probe mode) accounted for less than 50% of all TASER® usage.

Line graph depicting total number of CEW usage reports and comparing the number of deployed CEW reports to threatened CEW use reports

Text Version

Overall Use

  • 2002 - 86
  • 2003 - 570
  • 2004 - 266
  • 2005 - 614
  • 2006 - 1,133
  • 2007 - 1,593
  • 2008 - 1,123
  • 2009 – 696

Actual Deployment

  • 2002 - 62
  • 2003 - 502
  • 2004 - 242
  • 2005 - 517
  • 2006 - 901
  • 2007 - 1,139
  • 2008 - 569
  • 2009 – 277

Threatened

  • 2002 - 24
  • 2003 - 68
  • 2004 - 24
  • 2005 - 97
  • 2006 - 232
  • 2007 - 454
  • 2008 - 554
  • 2009 – 419

It is important to note that the CPC continues to closely monitor TASER® use on at-risk populations, including youths and those with mental health issues. This year's report noted that:

  • In cases involving those with mental health issues, the TASER® was deployed 50% of the time, which is higher than the deployment rate of 39% for non-mental health cases. Of equal concern is the upward trend in the proportion of TASER® deployments on this at-risk population over the past four years.
  • In cases involving youths, use of the TASER® was threatened 70% of the time, which is a slight increase from the previous year. The CPC continues to work closely with the RCMP to monitor these cases.

"The CPC is pleased with the RCMP's cooperation on this review of the TASER®," said Ian McPhail, CPC Interim Chair, noting that related RCMP policies, monitoring and training continue to evolve. "To demonstrate our ongoing commitment to addressing public concern about the RCMP's use of the TASER®, we plan to deliver our report on in-custody deaths proximal to TASER® use to the RCMP later this summer."

For more information, please contact:

Kate McDerby
613-952-3729
Kate.mcderby@cpc-cpp.gc.ca

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