WRPS WANT MORE STUN GUNS

A month ago (Feb. 7/14) I posted a piece on the Waterloo Region Police Service and their stun gun acquisiton program. While I am all in favour of less lethal methods of police controlling suspects than shooting them; nevertheless these weapons are problematic. Renaming them by the way to "conducted energy weapons" simply diminishes their lethality to the public. My concern is that rather than taking the time and means in non emergency situations to talk a suspect into compliance, they will simply "shoot first and ask questions later". Our Regional Police unfortunately are not alone in individual officers deciding that because they aren't getting enough respect from either suspects or passersby that they have the right as officers to force compliance or cooperation when they do not have any legal grounds for so doing. In this country if you are accosted by a police officer either in private or public who demands either your name or identification, you have the legal right not to answer and not to provide ID. One exception is when in care and control of an automobile. Then the officer unfortunately can legally insist upon identification.

Therefore how many officers when approaching citizens for information and being rebuffed (disrespected in their eyes) are going to do something stupid and zap the "offender"? How many officers are being taught more than the mechanics of the use of those weapons. They like guns should only be used to protect the life of a police officer or the life of a citizen. Calling them a compliance tool is reprehensible. Compliance to an overexaggerated authority via force is no more than assault. Today's Record story is titled "Police want to step up stun-gun training".