Nova Scotia RCMP pulls older Tasers out for testing

June 2, 2009
CBC News

The RCMP in Nova Scotia is taking 66 of its stun guns out of service as part of a nation-wide effort to test older models.

The decision to test older M-26 Tasers was made after the B.C. government announced Monday that such weapons don't meet the manufacturer's specifications.

"They'll be sent out for routine testing to ensure that they're meeting the manufacturer's standards," Cpl. M.J. Deluco, an RCMP spokesperson in Nova Scotia, said Tuesday.

Deluco said 31 newer stun guns will remain in service in the province.

MPB Technologies Electronic Centre, an independent laboratory in Ontario, examined 128 older-model M-26 Tasers used by the B.C. municipal police, sheriffs and corrections officers. Of those, 102 failed the test.

The lab concluded that 102 devices didn't meet the manufacturer's specifications, while 101 had output below those specifications. One unit failed due to a combination of factors.