Vancouver transit police change their policy on taser use

May 16, 2008
Neal Hall, Vancouver Sun

VANCOUVER - Ken Allen, the deputy chef of the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority Police Service told a provincial Taser inquiry today that it has changed its Taser policy after recent controversy.

He said the new policy replaces the term "non-compliant" with "actively resistant," he said.

He said the Taser policy was changed Monday by the. GVTAS board, which includes fouir senior officers and three non-officers.

"The original policy allowed Tasering of persons who were non-compliant," Allen told the inquiry..

He said the change was done in response to concerns raised by the public.

The old policy, adopted a year ago, raised a public outcry after it was reported that transit police had deployed a Taser against a person who had not paid his fare and tried to run away from an officer.

Allen said the GVTAPS has also asked the Police Complaints Commisioner to investigate every incident of Taser use by the transit police force in the last 10 months.

The transit police initially declined an invitation to appear before the inquiry but were ordered this week by the solicitor general to appear.

The inquiry will resume Monday.