Police-Encounters-With-People-In-Crisis

75. Many of the stakeholders who hold the latter view advocated against expanding
CEWs to first responders. They raised the concern that CEWs are already used
disproportionately on people with addictions and mental health issues. It was suggested
that only supervisors who have completed comprehensive mental health and deescalation
training should be equipped with the weapons. Several mental health
organizations also pointed to the need for more research on both psychological and
physical effects of CEWs before determining whether more officers should have access
to the devices.
76. The appropriate threshold at which the use of a CEW may be authorized was
equally subject to debate. Some stakeholders favoured maintaining the current TPS
threshold (that is, that a CEW be used when the officer believes a subject is threatening
or displaying assaultive behaviour or, taking into account the totality of the
circumstances, the officer believes there is an imminent need for control of a subject and
that it is reasonably necessary to use a CEW). They reasoned that the more stringent
standard recommended by the Braidwood Commission could hinder police officers’
abilities to protect lives if they are required to delay acting while assessing the
immediacy of a risk of assault. The Review heard that the existing threshold permits the
use of a CEW only to gain control of a subject who is at risk of causing physical harm,
not to secure the compliance of an individual who is merely resistant.
77. Others urged the Service to adopt the Braidwood standard (that is, that a CEW be
used only when the subject is causing bodily harm or the officer is satisfied, on
reasonable grounds, that the subject’s behaviour will imminently cause bodily harm,
and no lesser force option, de-escalation or crisis intervention technique would be
effective). Some stakeholders suggested that the same threshold be used to determine
the justification for discharging both a CEW and a firearm.
78. The need for standardized data on CEW use was also reflected in the submissions
provided to the Review. Organizations requested national guidelines on CEW use and
consistent reporting of displays and discharges of the weapon, which would include
reporting demographic information, mental state, and the behaviour of the subject prior
to deployment. Further, a central database of information regarding the use of CEWs by
the TPS and other services was suggested.
B. Body cameras
79. The Review received many submissions in favour of body cameras, provided
appropriate privacy safeguards can be implemented. Some stakeholders indicated that a
lack of direction from the provincial government on funding for body cameras could
affect the Service’s ability to implement them broadly. In addition to the cost of the
hardware, police services will have to maintain storage and retrieval databases, as well
as employ staff to upload videos and process disclosure and destruction requests.
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