HALIFAX - Nova Scotia is strengthening its provincial guidelines on the use of Tasers but the new guidelines do allow police officers to use the weapons on the mentally ill in certain situations.

The new guidelines, which come into effect today, allow officers to use stun guns on people with a mental illness if they believe that other techniques, including de-escalation and crisis intervention, would not work.

"The revised guidelines recognize that conducted energy weapons (Tasers or stun guns) are a useful tool for peace officers, but also acknowledge that their use must follow clear and prudent procedures," says Justice Minister Ross Landry.

"The revised guidelines are some of the strongest in Canada and meet or exceed the federal ones."

Last month the government released an inquiry report in response to the death of Howard Hyde, a mentally ill man who died in a Halifax jail 30 hours after police had Tasered him multiple times in November 2007.

Hyde was having a psychotic episode when he was Tasered, and while the recent inquiry concluded that Tasering did not cause Hyde's death, provincial court Judge Anne Derrick said that the jolts from the stun gun worsened his mental state.

The new guidelines on Taser use don't go quite as far as what was suggested in the recent report, which recommended that stun guns not be used on emotionally disturbed people until it has been determined that other techniques have not worked.

Landry says the new guidelines emphasize the importance of de-escalation and other crisis-intervention techniques, and that all officers across the province will learn those techniques when receiving Taser training.

"These guidelines will assist police in responding effectively to situations requiring the use of force, giving consideration to both the person involved and the responding officer," says Deputy Chief John Collyer of the Bridgewater Police Service.

The revised guidelines outline:

  • when and how the devices are to be used
  • procedures to be used when dealing with people living with a mental illness or a suspected mental illness
  • high-risk situations where the use of the weapons should be avoided
  • policy and documentation requirements
  • compulsory reporting to the province of any use of the devices
  • mandatory training and certification of users
  • regular testing of the weapons

With files from The Canadian Press