Have your say on police Taser use in Hamilton

Do you think more frontline Hamilton police officers should be equipped with Tasers? Now is your chance to get your voice heard.

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The Hamilton Police Services Board is holding a public meeting on Dec. 10 to ask the public what they think about expanded Taseruse. The board wants to know your thoughts on expansion, what conditions and accountability measures should be attached to Taser use and just how officers should be trained to use them.

Hamilton Police Service has been using conductive energy weapons (CEWs), otherwise known as Tasers, since 2004.

The service has trained 236 front-line officers to use Tasers, and has proposed spending $992,462 to train more, as well as purchase 150 more CEWs to add to the current arsenal of 66. City council has balked at that funding request in the past.

It will cost $635,443 per year to maintain the program. This includes $226,449 for two full-time training officers and about $100,000 for cartridges.

If youd like to participate in the Taser public meeting, contact police board administrator Lois Morin at lmorin@hamilton.ca, or by phone at 905-546-2727.