• This Issue
• About US
• Subscribe
• Search

Tasers Deaths: "Casualty of War", says Frank Di Giorgio

Toronto's at war, according to Toronto Police Services Board (TPSB) member Frank Di Giorgio. He made his observation at the March meeting of the TPSB. Responding to presentations about the possible arming of all Toronto cops with Tasers, Di Giorgio said taser deaths are, "a casualty of war".

Verbal or written presentations to the board came from Peter Rosenthal of Roach, Schwartz, and Sri-Guggan Sri-Skanda-Rajah of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, the Toronto Police Accountability Coalition (TPAC), Amnesty International and the Toronto Police Association (TPA).

In 2007, "TASERS were deployed 404 times as an intermediate force option during 368 incidents", according to Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair's Annual Report on the Use of Tasers - 2007. 404 uses with only 454 tasers issued to the cops, seems excessive. Again from Blair's report "At the beginning of 2007, there were 66 X26 TASERS issued to the Service. Training commenced in February and was concluded in November, resulting in 454 TASERS being issued to members of the Service."

Peter Rosenthal, Roach, Schwartz & Associates referred to a pepper-spraying incident that is viewable online.  In his report Rosenthal suggested the police "could facilitate independent reviews of Taser use in the future by adding a "Taser cam" to each Taser issued to a Toronto Police Officer. Rosenthal suggested everyone view the pepper-spray incident pointing out that the victim of the pepper-spray had approached the police as they were arresting another young man. Two officers were involved, one of whom "was twisting that man's arm behind his back. The man being arrested was complaining about his arm being hurt." All the second young man, "continued to try to talk to the officers, at which point one of the officers pepper sprayed the second young man in the face." The video is disturbing.

Rosenthal faired better than the Toronto Police Accountability Coalition (TPAC) representative; at least the TPSB listened when Rosenthal spoke.

Hamlin Grange cited, "public perception", as a concern for him in his comments about the reports he'd just heard. This is from a man who couldn't be bothered to listen to the first part of TPAC's presentation, as he was deep in conversation with Pam McConnell. Public perception just might be at the very least Grange should listen when the public uses their allocated time to speak to the TPSB.

George Tucker, Director of Uniform Field Services for the Toronto Police Association, presented a poorly worded argument in support of Tasers. Tucker started out well pointing out that no one calls 911 because they're having a good day. He then took a pot shot at the media. One of his key arguments for giving Tasers to all cops - when someone calls 911 they want to know that the cop, answering their call for help, will have a Taser hanging from his belt.

When people call 911 to report a fire they are interested in a fire engine arriving pronto; same for those requesting EMS it's the speed of the ambulance that's important not the belt accessories of a cop.

Note to TPA: next time you present to the TPSB find a rational argument to support your position.

404 uses of Tasers, according to Chief Bill Blair's statistics, is far too high. Sooner or later there will be a death after someone is tasered in Toronto. That death will be senseless it will not be a "casualty of war".