Duane Hicks
District OPP officers should be carrying conducted energy weapons (CEWs) by this summer.
OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis announced Dec. 23 that, effective immediately, any officer who is trained will be permitted to carry a CEW, which is more commonly referred to as a “taser.”
Local detachment commander Insp. Steve Shouldice told the Police Services Board this morning that officers here will take a day-and-a-half of CEW training as part of their annual block training.
This is when officers go to Kenora for re-qualification training in areas such as CPR and use of force.
Municipalities will not have to pay for the tasers as they will be provided by the OPP.
Insp. Shouldice said the OPP weapons control vault in Orillia currently is determining how many CEWs to send to each detachment, adding there will not be one for each and every officer.
“There will be a number of them at each detachment,” he explained.
“They’re shared amongst the officers, so you come in [and] you sign it out for the day.”
Before now, only front-line supervisors and members of specialized units, such as the OPP’s Emergency Response Teams (ERTs), have been allowed to use CEWs.
Meanwhile, police found there was no shortage of Grinches here this past Christmas season.
Incidents of theft under $5,000 rose sharply from five in November to 12 last month.
Nine of these occurred in Fort Frances, where thieves took presents, beer, a jacket, money, and shoplifted from local businesses in separate incidents.
However, it should be noted November was below average for thefts in 2013.
The five-year average for incidents in November is 12 while the five-year average for December is 11.
Winter weather also played a factor in December, resulting in 73 motor-vehicle collisions resulting in property damage—up from 63 in November and well above the five-year average of 62.
A total of 27 occurred in Fort Frances, of which 10 were attributed to reversing, other change in motion, or being inattentive.
Eight collisions were attributed to motorists driving too fast for road conditions (ice or snow).
