Évaluation du déploiement d’armes à impulsions électriques au sein du Service de police de la ville de Québec de 2015 à 2017
The use of force entails a substantial risk of injury to the citizens and officers involved in police action. In Quebec, the right provided to peace officers to use force is strictly regulated by law and is guided by the National Use of Force Model. At the beginning of 2017, the Service de police de la ville de Québec (SPVQ) established a deployment of approximately 60 patrol officers armed with conducted electrical weapon (CEW) –commonly referred to as TASERS. The present internship report seeks to evaluate the recent CEW deployment by analyzing 241 Use of Force Reports submitted by CEW users between January 1, 2015 and September 30, 2017.  First, we place the use of Tasers within the broader concept of use of force and we describe its context of utilization by the SPVQ. We then develop a profile that allows to compare new and experienced users in order to determine the impact of the selection process and the training on the use of conducted electrical weapon. Finally, the following research question is addressed: which factors (citizen, police, or context) influence the decision to use an CEW and the way it is used? The results show differences between the two groups of users in terms of socio-demographic characteristics and the way the weapons are used. However, there are few differences in terms of training. The decision to use an conducted electrical weapon during an intervention is mostly explained by factors relating to the police officer. Furthermore, it appears that police officers are more likely to use an CEW in electric shock mode when a subject presents violent behaviour. Research that examines the characteristics of users, involved individuals, and context of use of conducted electrical weapon can ultimately be used to improve the selection process and the training offered to patrol officers.
Use of force Intermediate weapon Conducted electrical weapon