No reason to trust

Published Wednesday March 26th, 2008
D6

The RCMP is saying "trust us" when it comes to the use of electric stun guns, or tasers. It says that taser use has been appropriate and the public should just take their word rather than be given the relevant facts to independently judge for ourselves. The RCMP stand doesn't cut it. Privacy concerns, as cited, have nothing to do with it. Rather this is an attempt to avoid accountability so the RCMP can use tasers any time, anywhere, and under any circumstances without answering to anybody. That is the way of a police state. By refusing to provide relevant information, the RCMP demonstrates it cannot be trusted.

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The New Brunswick government must create specific guidelines for taser use. These should make tasers a line of true defence for police, not just a convenient way to subdue someone. There are legitimate concerns about tasers that must be addressed. Their use is rising dramatically and evidence suggests tasers are being used inappropriately for convenience, not necessity. Given the dangers (19 people have died in Canada in seven years after being tasered), this is unacceptable. So too is withholding information that indicates whether the police are following acceptable use policy or not. The RCMP must prove it can be trusted.

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Comments (9)

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The RCMP is a national police force, and it has too much power. It has proven to be riddled
with corruption, as have other police departments, which essentially police themselves.
National TV programs, such as the Fifth Estate and W5 have done exposés on this in recent
times.

While listening to CBC radio, not long ago, I heard a woman describe how the police had
tazered her brother in Canada, and she said he was in a wheelchair and weighed about
100 lbs.

While the police have killed 19 in Canada using tazers, how many have they shot to death
in the same time frame?

Tazers can bring down a bull weighing a ton. People don't average a tenth of that weight.
In the end, is it any wonder that people fear the police in this country?
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Anonymous Reader on 26/03/08, 6:20:47 AM ADT
I trust our RCMP just as much as I trust the Liberal Government.....NOT AT ALL!!! And I would place my trust in the dirtiest crook before I placed my trust in either the RCMP or the NB government!!!!
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Anonymous Reader on 26/03/08, 1:05:31 PM ADT
First of all it is not the tasers that kill, don't blame this on the RCMP, look up the research done by the manufactures of the taser (heck they are even legally sold in the US),
Would you rather be shot or tasered? If you don't trust the RCMP then who do you call when you need help? Ghost busters? I trust they have the interest of public safety in mind. When you hear stories about the poor person who was tasered they cut out they part about the knives taped to the assailants hands ect.
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Anonymous Reader on 27/03/08, 1:58:21 AM ADT
Anonymous Reader 27 03 08 at 1:58:21 said that "it is not the tasers that kill" then suggests looking at the manufacturers of the taser. Obviously Taser International, Inc. the manufacturer is not an objective source. The United Nations Committee Against Torture has concluded that taser use is a form of torture and that studies show that tasers do kill in some cases:

"Following its consideration of the fourth periodic report of Portugal ... The Committee was worried that the use of TaserX26 weapons, provoking extreme pain, constituted a form of torture, and that in certain cases it could also cause death, as shown by several reliable studies and by certain cases that had happened after practical use."

People with mental disabilities, including autistic children and youths, have been tasered here in NB. The recent Youth Advocate's report indicates an autistic youth was tasered twice. A gentleman with mental health issues died after being tasered in NB.

Tasers should be banned.

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HAROLD DOHERTY, Fredericton on 27/03/08, 6:55:30 AM ADT
Anon 1:58.......you said if you dont trust the rcmp, who do you call when you need help?? That's a good question. I have needed help a few times and called the cops. They did absolutely NOTHING for me!!! It's pretty bad when you are attacked in the presence of an rcmp officer who tells you "oh well, call me tomorrow if you want to file a complaint". So the next day I did.....I was told "well call us on tuesday" (I was assaulted on Saturday). About a week later they came, took my statement..........and that was it. I told them I wanted to press charges, well that was in JULY.....almost a year later, i'm still waiting for their help. And this was only one of 3 incidents I can think of when I needed their help and they were as useless as a rock.

If you're not a pimp, or a rat, or have lots of money.....the RCMP are not on your side.

And people wonder why some take the law into their own hands??? THAT"S WHY!!!
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Anonymous Reader on 27/03/08, 11:56:06 AM ADT
Anon 11:56:06 may I ask you your age?
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Anonymous Reader on 27/03/08, 1:10:46 PM ADT
What does age have to do with it?
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Anonymous Reader on 28/03/08, 11:09:51 AM ADT
Anon 11:56, I do not have a lot of money, but I have need the RCMP's help in the past two years and they have done eberything to help me and my family stay safe from the situation that we were subjected to, they even lost one of their own in the process. I am sorry that you have not had a good experience withthe RCMp, but I have and I am glad that they had their tazers with them, them did not use them, but I wish I could have.
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Anonymous Reader on 28/03/08, 12:37:09 PM ADT
I've seen someone stabbed repeatedly and the cops didn't even show up to make an arrest. Even though we knew who it was and where they were, they refused to come, because the victim wasn't there (they were in an ambulance being rushed to the hospital). Even though about 30 people witnessed it, they wouldn't come deal with the situation. When they did show up, it was a few days later, and STILL didn't arrest the person who did it, didn't even bring them into the cop station (even though the person admitted it). Does this make sense?? Why wouldn't the cops show up after someone was stabbed 7 times?!!?!?
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Anonymous Reader on 28/03/08, 1:02:11 PM ADT
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