The RCMP’s watchdog has released its interim report on the Mounties’ use of Tasers, criticizing the law enforcement agency and recommending that changes be made immediately.

In the report, Paul Kennedy, chair of the Commission for Public Complaints against the RCMP, accused the RCMP of “usage creep” with its use of “conducted energy weapons”–commonly known as Tasers–and recommended that the Taser be reclassified to restrict its use.

“CEW use has expanded to include subduing resistant subjects who do not pose a threat of grievous bodily harm or death and on whom the use of lethal force would not be an option,” the report states. “The current approach by the RCMP clearly illustrates a shift in permissible usage from the original intent in 2001, which was more restrictive”.

Kennedy’s report makes 10 recommendations. The most significant is a suggestion that the Taser be reclassified from an “intermediate device” to an “impact weapon”.

According to the report, an intermediate device can be used in situations in which an individual is “exhibiting behaviors that are deemed resistant”. The use of an impact weapon is only permissible if an individual is “being combative or posing a risk of death or grievous bodily harm”.

Other recommendations call for the RCMP to redesign its CEW training program to reflect the Taser’s reclassification and to appoint a “national use of force coordinator”.

The report also asks that the RCMP produce quarterly reports on the use of Tasers and that it continue to engage in Taser-related research. This should look into the medical, legal, and social aspects of the weapon’s use.

External links:

CPC Chair Interim Taser Report