Use Tasers Responsibly

Regarding the article "Zap the Taser"
I agree somewhat with your editorial on Taser use in Canada.It is clear that Tasers are not being treated as seriously as they should be. People have been Tasered for minor reasons, such as small struggles with police, uch as with the incident involving Robert Dzercanski, the man who was Tasered and killed in the Vancouver airport as your article mentions. Since there is a possibility of death, it is important that officers use Tasers as a last resort, one step before using a gun. If it is used unneccessarily then the victim could be killed, which seems like an unfair punishment for a small dispute with the police. Many officers are told that Tasers are "safer than Tylenol" but according to multiple studies that simply isn't true. It's critical that officers are getting all the facts so they can make calculated decisions before using this weapon. Tasers aren't necessarily bad, as they can immobilize, usually without causing death or injury. As a matter of fact they do save lives. Conflicts that may in the past have ended with the trigger of a gun being pulled now can be stopped without fatalities for the most part by Tasers. I don't think we need to "zap the Taser" altogether, but it should be used more responsibly by police and other law enforcers.
Rebecca Staynor, North Vancouver

Time to zap the Taser
The Province
Published: Monday, November 10, 2008

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