Police chief expresses desire for advanced-tech stun guns to replace officers' firearms
The head of the Winnipeg Police Service hopes stun guns can help reduce the use of more lethal force, eventually to the point officers no longer need guns.
'Those alternate weapons, intermediate weapons, they save lives. And the technology is just advancing rapidly, where my hope is one day that we never have a shooting where someone's lost their life,' said WPS Chief Gene Bowers. 'So, if that's the use of leveraging technology, I hope one day it gets to there, that firearms aren't a needed weapon.'
Bowers' comments followed the release of an annual use of force report, which notes WPS officers used Tasers 524 times last year, including 221 instances in which the devices were presented and/or used to coerce someone, 216 times stun-gun probes were deployed (for use over a longer distance) and 87 times when the weapons were used to 'push stun' (applied while pressing the device against someone.)
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Police chief Gene Bowers said Tasers offer a safer alternative to guns.
The combined use is up from a five-year average of 262 times per year since 2019, and 302 total uses in 2023.
Bowers said Tasers offer a safer alternative to guns.
'Any time that we're not using deadly force is a good thing,' he said.
The latest Tasers can subdue a person from a further distance away, increasing their effectiveness, he noted.
In 2024, police either presented a weapon or used force in 968 incidents, or 0.4 per cent of 239,903 total dispatches, up from 0.33 per cent the previous year.
Serious incidents included six officer-involved shootings and four fatalities last year.
While the chief highlighted benefits of stun-gun use, a local law professor cautioned against framing Tasers as a safe tool, which could lead police to use them more readily.
'There is a risk with this perception that Tasers are essentially not lethal weapons. They should be considered as less-lethal weapons, they're less likely to result in death,' said Brandon Trask, an associate professor of law at the University of Manitoba.
He noted deaths in North America has been linked to Tasers, which he said are more dangerous for people who are intoxicated by drugs or have a heart condition.
'A pretty major electrical current going through their body can result in some pretty horrific outcomes,' said Trask.
He expressed doubt that police could completely end their reliance on guns, since they are at risk of facing much more lethal weapons on the job.
'It's very ambitious to think that this advancement in this area of technology is going to be a huge game-changer,' he said.
Meanwhile, the police chief also shed light on several other key WPS files.
When asked if he personally supported calls to search the Prairie Green landfill for the remains of two Indigenous women slain by a serial killer before he became the chief of police, Bowers said he did.
'I've always been supportive of a search, an advocate of that,' he said.
Bowers served as WPS deputy chief in charge of investigations when the decision was made to not search Prairie Green for the remains of Marcedes Myran and Morgan Harris, which was met with intense community backlash.
A search eventually did begin late last year and has since located both women's remains.
Bowers also revealed that police are still pursuing a plan to track race-based data of people officers interact with and will hire an external Indigenous consultant who will work on that file.
'It would be an external consultant to help with reconciliation, to help with partnerships (with) the Indigenous community… to ensure that we're doing things that aren't offensive or causing issues with the community,' he said.
In a separate update, police also noted the Manitoba Integrated Violent Offender Apprehension Unit, a joint effort of WPS and the RCMP, has now made 730 arrests.
The unit aims to crack down on violent and prolific offenders.
Bowers noted two federal changes he'd like to see to help reduce the number of people who commit repeated acts of violence.
'If someone's to the point where they're utilizing firearms, machetes and causing harm to citizens… consideration to the release should be really considered. If they do reoffend, there should be something in place where they should be detained in custody until they can have their hearing… that's bail reform,' said Bowers.
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The federal government should also explore imposing mandatory minimum sentences for some offences linked to using firearms and other dangerous weapons, such as machetes, he said.
The police chief also supports creating a 24-hour sobering or detox unit for first responders to take people experiencing drug-related psychosis.
'I think there's a great need for somewhere where we can take people that they're safe and other people are safe… if they're in a psychosis…. It's just working through the logistics of it and getting it in place,' he said.
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Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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