Winnipeg police chief suggests stun guns save lives, could replace firearms in future
Winnipeg's police chief said stun guns used by the service's officers have saved lives and could replace the need for firearms in policing altogether in the future.
In a report presented Friday to the Winnipeg Police Board about the use of force, Chief Gene Bowers said the service used conducted energy weapons 524 times in 2024.
That's up from 301 instances where stun guns, such as Tasers, were used in 2023, and well over the five-year average of 262, the chief reported.
Bowers said Friday the increased deployment of stun guns, which the police call "intermediate weapons," has been made possible by technological improvements that allow them to be deployed at greater distances.
"They save lives," Bowers said following a Winnipeg Police Board meeting at city hall. "The technology is just advancing rapidly, where my hope is one day that we never have a shooting where someone loses their life."
Bowers said he cannot get into specifics about the increasing range of conducted energy weapons.
He said their increased use can be seen as a positive development, given a greater number of incidents of use of force overall.
"That's not deadly force, so any time that we're not using deadly force is a good thing. So yeah, I wouldn't look at it as a negative," he said.
Police shot six people in 2024, four fatally, up from three shootings in 2023, all of which were fatal, Bowers's report said. The five-year average number of police shootings was four, he reported.
Overall instances of use of force — which also include use of pepper spray and batons, as well as canine bites — rose from 863 incidents in 2023 to 968 in 2024, he wrote. The five-year average was 788, according to the report.
"The increase has largely been attributed to encounters with individuals exhibiting the effects of methamphetamine," Bowers wrote. "Individuals under the influence of methamphetamine often have a high tolerance to pain and are far less responsive to de-escalation techniques, including verbal and physical."
Winnipeg Police Board chair Markus Chambers, the city councillor for St. Norbert-Seine River, said he is not concerned about the increased use of force by police.
Chambers said 968 instances where force was used out of 240,000 calls for service is not a concerning ratio.
"Looking at the numbers, I focus on the fact that 99.6 per cent of interactions with police don't involve use of force," Chambers said.
He and Bowers said they continue to support the creation of a 24-hour sobering centre for people suffering from methamphetamine psychosis and alcohol intoxication.
Such a centre would be secure, have medical personnel on site and require substantial government funding, said Bowers, who has advocated for a sobering centre since he was sworn in in March.
At a downtown safety announcement in 2024, Premier Wab Kinew said it's unacceptable to see people suffering from meth psychosis shadow-boxing in downtown Winnipeg, for their safety and the safety of others.
At a similar announcement on Friday
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
43 minutes ago
- CTV News
Two motorcyclists suffer life-threatening injuries after head-on crash near Cornwall
An Ontario Provincial Police crest is pictured on an officer's uniform. (Supplied) Two people on a motorcycle were taken to hospital with injuries described as life-threatening after a head-on crash near Cornwall. Ontario Provincial Police say the crash happened on County Road 18 near Chapel Road, about 100 kilometres southeast of downtown Ottawa at approximately 4 p.m. Saturday. The collision involved the motorcycle and an SUV, OPP says in an email to CTV News Ottawa. Emergency responders, including Orgne Air ambulance, was called to the scene. Roads in the area remain closed as of Saturday evening and motorists can expect a 'lengthy' closure, police said in a news release. The public is asked to avoid the area as an investigation continues.
CTV News
43 minutes ago
- CTV News
Hit-and-run in Caledon sends boy to hospital
An Ontario Provincial Police vehicle is pictured in this file image. (File Photo/Ontario Provincial Police | Photo Credit: Bobb Barratt) A boy is in the hospital after a hit-and-run in Caledon Saturday afternoon. Ontario Provincial Police say they got a call at 2 p.m. for a collision in the area of Mayfield Road and Petch Avenue, west of McLaughlin Road. A young male riding a motorized scooter was struck by a westbound vehicle, OPP say. He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. OPP say the driver did not remain at the scene. No description of the suspect vehicle has been released. They are asking anyone with information to call 905-584-2241 or 1-888-310-1122.
CTV News
43 minutes ago
- CTV News
Suspect in custody after man stabbed in Regent Park
Police are on the scene of a stabbing in Regent Park on Saturday, June 21, 2025. (CP24) One man has been rushed to the hospital following a stabbing at an apartment building in Regent Park Saturday evening. Toronto police say they received a call at 7:19 p.m. about a person stabbed inside a building in the area of Sackville Street and Dundas Street East, east of Parliament Street. When officers arrived, they found a male victim suffering from a stab wound. Toronto paramedics told CTV News Toronto that the man sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Police say a suspect was arrested and later transported to hospital. Paramedics said the suspect suffered minor injuries. The circumstances that led to the stabbing are not known.
