Tasering Canadians from coast to coast
June 4, 2009 - 11:47am
Four new instances of Taser use, two of them against distraught women
A 55-yr old woman who is now in critical condition.
A mentally disturbed teenage mother in Vancouver on Monday ("last thing we wanted to do")
A possible car thief who was outrunning the cops in Montreal (can't do that, now).
Yet anther man in Vancouver, now hospitalized.
Electronic stun gun FAQs
I agree it's out of control, Martin.
When tasers came onto the scene they were presented as providing a last ditch alternative to using a gun. That original use, which I think would be supported by reasonable people, is not at all the way it is happening. I think they should be taken away until cops are ready to use them as they were intended.
So maybe the problem is that shooting suspects instead of talking them down or getting to them otherwise has not been made enough of a scandal at this stage. Because. reading the comments on the CBC websites, I see a lot of people saying things like "Well, she would be dead if they had shot her, so it's an improvement."
In many of these cases, like Mr. D (I'm a spelling weasel) at the Vancouver airport, shooting wouldn't have been an option. Instead of reducing shootings, tasering has become just a new tool in the arsenal.
I try not to worry about the comments I read under news stories. I figure that most of those people are stupid and ignored in real life. Commenting anonymously on the cbc website is probably the only attention they get. Yes, "she would be dead if they had shot her" but they were never going to shoot her!
The running down a suspect ad tasering to me is a lot different than Van airport or a mother. If you aren't pursuing(and tasers have little range) there isn't much use for them.
Lets try intelligence for once-youtube for those on dial up
Its about the training provided, or the lack of it, as recruits to the force are learning from young officers on the job. Time and talk need to be the emphasis along with investing in human resources as the Senate inquiry concluded on the RCMP's tasering of the polish immigrant at the airport. Police also just took 500 guns out of service that where hotter than a toaster and that is very, very controversial because these guns could malfuction in a zap or maybe 5.
I wonder how the hot weather is on those toasters police carry around in their hoslters? And I wonder how sorry the RCMP really are and what a sorry lot of police in Vancouver as there is rarely a day goes by that they haven't zapped or shot someone who is in need of help. And you know how women can count on them for help, as the east side is still squelling from the injustice of it all.
And if its about safety why is someone always ending up dead or seriously injured? Do you think this incident has caused Canada harm to her reputation, and especially Vancouver because its kinda in the spot light because of the Olympics? Who is going to protect visitors from sercurity and police?
And be very careful because around here hurting people end up dead or maybe even stay at home especially if you are brown says one victim of the police force who found himself being beaten and robbed by local police off duty. I guess they thought they where on the job because police also have a reputation of being takers on the job, you know maybe if I take this pile of cash and this pile of drugs and save the courts the time and trouble I'll be doing a good service.
And I know how to save millions, stop testing drug addicts and use the money to help women who are victims of violence instead of going out and giving your stamp of approval as women and children lives are threaten and the best Police can come up is do you have somewhere to go, like the street or something. Violence in BC to women is at a all time high, and escalating as we have the highest numbers in the country and rumour is police like to give their share of beating, and zapping in the new age of technology. Or how about treatment, as are neighbors in the US have found there are better uses for the money as its not like you can control a man's desires, thats their job.
As there are horror stories out there that aren't being told but you never know that could change as the media is standing on its last leg, and it wouldn't take much to topple it over.
And if you must test, test where its important like the legislature because as one is left to wonder what are they washing their water down with, vodka or when they go for lunch why is everyone sitting at the bar? Its just so important to have a clear perspecitive on things especially when your making decisions that affect everyone's life as many feel like they have been run over by a semi and better left off dead. And the clock is ticking away a job, every 25 seconds.....and only time will tell.
Barbara Ehrenreich has a few astute words about that.