The Winnipeg Police Service wants to upgrade to the latest model of the Taser electroshock weapon, which a superintendent says is more effective and can be deployed from greater distances than the model they use now.
A five-year contract for 375 of the newest devices and associated software, at a yearly cost of just over $880,000, is up for approval at city council.
The less-lethal weapons would replace the inventory of older devices, which cost $564,000 annually, a report to city hall from 2023 indicates.
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A five-year contract for new Tasers for the Winnipeg Police Service is up for approval at city council.
Winnipeg Police Service Supt. George Labossiere, who oversees operational support, said the latest Tasers are a significant advancement over the technology used by front-line officers. The service has used Tasers since 2005.
Labossiere said the service wants to end the five-year contract it signed with Axon Public Safety, which manufactures the devices and associated software, in 2023. Instead, it wants to sign a new deal with the company for the latest Taser 10s. Ending the current contract will come at no penalty, he said.
“The reason we’re so highly motivated (to seek a new contract) is because the enhanced technology allows us to do so much more,” he said.
The new devices carry more rounds and have a range of about 45 feet, compared to 25 feet with the current model.
The devices shoot two electronic probes into an individual to complete an electric circuit that shocks and incapacitates them.
The current model has three probes, allowing for one first shot and one followup, whereas the new model allows officers to make as many as nine additional shots to try to complete the circuit.
Labossiere said the Taser 10 shoots faster and more accurately; it offers more opportunities to complete the circuit and incapacitate suspects.
He argued the devices will potentially save lives.
“We really do believe the extra time, the distance, the ability to get a better probe connection to the individual, will allow us to stay at that intermediate weapon use of force, in that range. If the Taser is ineffective, then you’re potentially looking at higher levels of force, which nobody wants, which police certainly don’t want,” he said.
Tasers, along with pepper spray, batons and foam-round launchers, are considered intermediate weapons.
The next step up is lethal force in which officers draw and potentially shoot their firearm at a suspect.
Data on when the new devices are pulled from their holsters and what angle they’re fired at is automatically recorded.
When pulled from their holsters, the new Tasers can also automatically trigger body-worn cameras on officers in the immediate area.
Labossiere said the police service is looking at adopting body-worn cameras.
“In the event that officers are just happening to be in a situation where they’re not required to have their cameras on, pulling the Taser out will automatically turn the cameras on… so we’ll get the vantage point of every officer in that area,” said Labossiere.
The superintendent said he believes the benefits of the new devices outweigh the higher annual cost.
“When we think of the fact that we’re going to be using less force… we believe that the cost will certainly outweigh the price of not having it, not to mention the saving of lives,” argued Labossiere.
“You can’t put a price on that.”
Jeff Wiggett, the executive director of the Winnipeg Police Board, said the board has supported the move and thinks the new models will be worth the increased price.
He said the latest use-of-force statistics from WPS, from the 2024 annual report, showed that Taser use by officers had increased nearly twofold over the prior five-year average.
“They’re proven to be the most effective control they have, while also being the least likely to cause injuries,” said Wiggett.
“To that end, new, modern equipment that is reported to be more effective at controlling people, when the need arises, I think from the board’s perspective, it very much aligns with what they’ve tasked the service with doing.”
Frank Cormier, a University of Manitoba criminology professor, said it’s too early to determine whether they will be more effective than the current model.
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“I don’t know if they’re any less dangerous if you hit the person with it, but… if they’re effective over longer distances and you can get more attempts, because they’re not always successful, it’s less likely you’re going to have to switch to a gun,” said Cormier.
He noted companies often market the newest model of a product as being worth the money, but it’s difficult to assess the veracity of those claims until the products are tested in the field.
“I think police are no different than anybody else, in that we can be persuaded by effective marketing and… (Axon) is a huge corporation with a huge budget for marketing,” Cormier said.
“… Until they’ve been in the field long enough to get data that can be confirmed, it’s hard to know if it’s worthwhile.”
erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca
Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik.
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