City Police to purchase new Tasers

Sault Ste. Marie Police Service officers will be receiving new conducted energy weapons, more commonly known as Tasers.

The Taser upgrade, including the cost of the actual Tasers, cost of warranties, cartridges and holsters comes to just under $52,000.

The purchase was approved during the open portion of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Services Board’s regular monthly meeting Thursday.

Referring to a Toronto newspaper article, Sault Police Chief Robert Keetch, speaking to the board, said “there’s a debate that’s ongoing regarding conducted energy weapons in Toronto, as to whether they’re going to issue them to all front line officers, and I think from our reporting and evaluating our use of force, it’s a very, very effective weapon to issue, to de-escalate situations and to improve safety in regard to the individuals we’re dealing with, and our officers safety.”

“If I was asked my opinion, I think they’ve had a very positive impact being issued to all members of this Police Service, and decreased incidents where we’ve had to physically handle individuals and/or had officers injured as a result of dealing with individuals, so I think that’s a positive in the sense of their deployment,” Keetch said.

There were 77 use of force by Sault Police reports submitted as of Sept. 30, six of those in September, most of them involving tasers being drawn but not deployed.

The total number of use of force reports for Sault Police for January to September 2016 was 72.

The $52,000 Taser upgrade expenditure was part of a larger approval from the board Thursday to spend a total of $255,000 on various projects.

The $255,000 comes from the Service’s Capital Reserve Fund, not the Police Service’s 2018 Operating Budget.

Upon the recommendation of senior officers, there will be an expansion and improvement to the fitness room at the Police Service building at 550 Second Line East.

To make space for the expanded and improved fitness room, the Service’s BATT vehicle would have to be stored off site at the MTO garage, not far from the Police Service building.

The estimated cost of the project is $32,000, subject to a tendering process, including $15,000 for construction and $17,000 for equipment. Current equipment at the fitness room would be given to the 49th (Sault Ste. Marie) Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery at the Sault Armoury.

It is proposed the board approve paying one third of the cost ($11,000), those funds coming from cash deemed ‘abandoned’ through Sault Police Service investigations.

The Police Service itself would fund its portion of the project from its 2018 capital budget, with the remaining third coming from the Sault Ste. Marie Police Association, subject to the SSMPA’s approval.

“This fitness room benefits the Service in a number of ways. It is used for operational needs such as the ESU (the Emergency Services Unit, which mans the BATT vehicle) and physical rehabilitation of our members, as well as the general fitness of our workforce,” wrote Deputy Chief Sean Sparling in a report to the Board.

$15,000 will also be spent on a new Police snowmachine, a two-seater to be used in patrol, search and rescue, RIDE enforcement, collision investigation and investigations in remote areas.

An existing snowmachine, a single-seater, is 10 years old and showing signs of wear and tear, a report to the board stated.

There will also be a $132,000 Criminal Investigation Office renovation.

The renovation will consist of new furniture better suited for computer use (budgeted at $72,000), flooring and window blinds, a paint job, new lighting, network cabling and switches, electrical and telephone cabling.

Construction budget for the Criminal Investigation Office renovation is estimated at $60,000.

$45,000 will also be spent for new high voltage electrical switches for the Police building. That money would come from the Service’s Capital Reserve budget, the balance of the needed $225,000 would come from the city, pending council approval. This improvement was outlined in the Asset Management Facility Condition Assessment performed by consulting firm Morrison Hershfield in 2013.

In other business from Thursday’s board meeting, two new hires were formally announced. 

Brad Harfman, an experienced Toronto Police Service Constable in the process of relocating to the Sault, will be joining the Sault Police Service in November.

Also in November, Gary Mancuso, a civilian technician, will replace an existing police officer in facilities and procurement as part of the ongoing civilianization of certain Sault Police Service jobs.