Police Have Limited Access to TASERS

It is only three months after an early morning double shooting undertaken by Montreal police which left an innocent bystander and a knife wielding man dead, but the police department is still experiencing a weak spot during this time of the day.

The police force only has access to four TASERS, which are available from 4.30 a.m. to 7 a.m. on the island of Montreal.

That means they only have four self defense stunning tools – one for each of the operational sectors of Montreal Island – out of 48 that the police department have in total. The main reason that the force has limited access to TASERS is down to the fact that most of the officers who are trained in employing them are off-duty during the early morning hours.

As well as a weak spot with the amount of self defense tools, the police force also have limited access to police dogs, which are extremely useful in situations that call for the search of drugs, bombs and to track suspects. Another reason for this is because the 10 dogs and their handlers are also off-duty between the hours of 4.30 a.m. and 8 a.m.

However, while there may be limited availability of police dogs and the self defense devices, the stunning weapons have doubled up from two, according to the police commander, since last month.

The increase, in August, was the result of meetings with the Montreal Island council’s public security committee, which took place in March and July. The increase was not down to the recent shootings in June.

The police commander went on to the say the increase was something that was planned for a while. They have requested access to more TASERS because of the effectiveness they produce in subduing criminals without harming them in the process.

Unfortunately, unless more officers are trained in using the self defense tools for their safety and the safety of the public, the police force on Montreal Island will continue to have a weak spot in front of them.

The use of these devices has proved extremely beneficial for many police departments across the country, which is obvious from the reduction in injuries inflicted on police and suspects when other weapons are replied upon.