Vancouver – After issuing a press release saying that all Tasers tested by the RCMP had met manufacturer specifications, this week the police force released documents to the BCCLA that indicate that two of thirty tasers tested actually failed to meet those standards. In response to the revelations, the BCCLA is calling for a review of the RCMP actions on the file by the Minister of Public Safety, and for responsibility for Taser safety testing to be taken away from the RCMP.
On December 8, 2008, the RCMP issued a news release indicating that the testing of thirty randomly selected Tasers was complete and that the units had all tested “within the manufacturer’s specifications.” In a “Message” posted on the RCMP website this week, the RCMP has revised the test results, along with the end date of the testing:
During the testing, completed on December 10, 2008, two of the M-26 CEWs were found to be outside the TASER International 2005 testing protocol variance for open circuit voltage. On January 28, 2009, TASER International provided updated protocols for both the M-26 and X-26 models, which no longer included measurement of open circuit voltage.
The failures of the two M-26 models to meet manufacturer specifications, the response from Taser International to simply remove the offending measurement rather than repair the devices, and the misstatement of the failures by the RCMP in a media release have caused the BCCLA to call on the Minister of Public Safety to review the incident and remove responsibility for Taser testing from RCMP authority.
“We want the Minister of Public Safety to examine this issue, as it raises further questions of the confidence Canadians can have in public statements made by the RCMP,” said Rob Holmes, the President of the BCCLA. “The apparent omission of the RCMP to report the Taser testing failures, or at the very least, not to correct their misstatement that the Tasers worked according to manufacturer specifications for three months, is deeply troubling.”
In December of 2008, the CBC published a research report suggesting that some X-26 models fired at a stronger current than Taser International said was possible. This latest testing is the first time that the performance of the M-26 models to Taser International specifications has been questioned.
CEW Testing Message posted to the RCMP website on Tuesday >>
RCMP Taser testing protocol for the M-26 >>
December 8, 2008 RCMP media release >>
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