No uniformity of Taser use by B.C. police, inquiry told

Police forces in B.C. all have their own policies on Taser use and it will be hard to develop a uniform policy for all of them to follow, the Braidwood Taser inquiry in Vancouver heard Wednesday.

Most municipal police departments have a policy on use of the energy conducted weapon but those policies have not been standardized, testified Bob Rich, president of the B.C. Association of Municipal Chiefs of Police.

Differing opinions on when a stun gun should be deployed would make it difficult to come up with a provincial policy, he testified.

"I look forward to the process of making it clear for our officers what we actually expect them to do," Rich said.

"This province is policed by both municipal and RCMP officers and it would be appropriate for all of us to be working with one policy."

Rich said he believes there is consistency in training for police officers who are issued Tasers.

Police forces follow 'overarching principle'

A provincial use-of-force co-ordinator has been asked to recommend uniform standards for Taser use in B.C., he said.

Bill McNaughton, Victoria's interim police chief, told the inquiry on Wednesday that the Taser is now considered an "intermediate" weapon on the use-of-force continuum.

"Discussion around this is clouded because of different use-of-force models and potentially different wording that can create some confusion," McNaughton said.

The Taser inquiry, headed by retired B.C. Court of Appeal Justice Thomas Braidwood, was called after Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski died shortly after he was jolted with an RCMP Taser at the Vancouver airport on Oct. 14, 2007.

The first phase of the inquiry is examining the general use of stun guns by B.C. police forces and coming up with recommendations on appropriate use. The second phase will look into Dziekanski's case in particular.

Transit police to appear before inquiry

On Wednesday, B.C. Solicitor General John van Dongen ordered the Metro Vancouver transit police to testify before the inquiry.

Braidwood expanded the inquiry to include transit police after documents revealed Tasers were used by transit cops 10 times in the previous 18 months, including five times against riders trying to ride for free.

The transit police initially declined the invitation to appear, but Van Dongen said that's not an option.

Sgt. Willie Merenick of the Greater Vancouver Transit Authority Police Service told CBC News his force will appear at the inquiry Thursday.

"The fact that we wish to take part has been put forward to the inquiry and we're just waiting for an opportunity to do that," he said.