Guelph Police use of force statistics for 2018 were trending lower than the 2017 totals and stun guns have become an effective tool in de-escalating situations that officers are faced with.
Guelph Police Chief Jeff DeRuyter made the comments to the Guelph Police Services Board Thursday.
In 2018, Guelph Police officers attended 68 incidents in which a combined 118 uses of force were used.
In 2017 there were 99 use-of-force incidents resulting in a combined 237 uses of force.
DeRuyer told the board that the use of conducted energy weapons, more commonly called Tasers or stun guns, has been effective in deescalating situations.
“One of the things I have seen over the years is way more people that are — whether through mental health or substance use — very difficult to deal with that are armed or threatening that they are armed,” said DeRuyter.
Conducted energy weapons were fired by Guelph Police officers on six occasions in the final three months of 2018.
In one of those incidents, a man was reported to be possessing a knife and had used bear spray on a door at a location well known for its drug use. During a struggle, the man received ‘several’ strikes from conducted energy weapons before being taken in to custody. The report said neither the man or Guelph Police officers were injured in the incident.
In another incident, officers were investigating a person reported to be having a psychotic breakdown when he became violent. Both officers received serious facial injuries and one was struck in the head and suffered a concussion. After conducted energy weapons were deployed at least three times, the person became compliant. He received minor injuries.
DeRuyter said officers use great discretion when dealing with a number of scenarios, relying on their training and a number of use of force options.
“I can’t speak enough about the challenges our members face and the professionalism in which they do their work int he times we are in,” said DeRuyter.
Police firearms were pointed at suspects on 17 occasions in the final quarter of 2018.
In one incident, an officer responded to a break and enter call in the south end and encountered two male suspects attempting to flee in a stolen vehicle.
The officer’s marked police vehicle was parked in a position to prevent the suspects from fleeing, but the suspects crashed into a parked vehicle. Believing his life was in jeopardy, the officer pointed his firearm and ordered the suspects to stop and get out of the vehicle, which was ignored as they fled the scene.
In another incident, police responded to a report of a man seen outside of a bank holding a revolver. He and another man sped away from the bank in a car. Police conducted a high-risk stop of the vehicle, drew firearms and ordered the men from the vehicle. One suspect was taken into custody and the gun was found to have been a toy. No injuries were reported to either of the men or to police.
Police firearms were discharged on only two occasions in the final quarter of 2018. In both of those incidents, a severely injured deer was dispatched.
A more detailed breakdown of the use of force stats for 2018 will be presented to the board in March.
Thursday’s meeting was the first for Bob Carter, who is the member of the public appointed by city council to sit on the police services board.
Carter is a former U of G vice-president and once chaired the Guelph General Hospital Board of Directors. He joins board chair Don Drone, Mayor Cam Guthrie and city councillor Christine Billings.
A fifth member of the board will be appointed by the provincial government.
On Friday, the police services board announced Guelph’s new chief of police Gordon Cobey will begin his new role on March 1.
