Vancouver Transit Cops Taser Riders for Not Paying

News Type: Event — Seeded on Wed Apr 16, 2008 12:36 PM EDT

Article Source: The Globe and Mail

world-news, canada, abuse, vancouver, transit, tasers

The country's only armed transit police have been tasering passengers who try to avoid paying fares.

According to documents provided in response to a Freedom of Information request, police patrolling public transit in the Metro Vancouver area have used tasers 10 times in the past 18 months, including five occasions when victims had been accosted for riding free.

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2.2

{"commentId":1698599,"authorDomain":"witchofthenorth"}

Glinda

Do we really need police officers with guns and tasers using them in the context of fare evasion? I don't think so. This really is very hard to believe."

But he stopped short of blaming the police. "They do what police do," he said. Instead, he pinned the fault on cabinet ministers responsible for the police who refuse to restrict taser use.

{"commentId":1698599,"threadId":"251098","contentId":"1434622","authorDomain":"witchofthenorth"}

#1 - Wed Apr 16, 2008 12:39 PM EDT

{"commentId":1698718,"authorDomain":"Wheel"}

Wheel

Isn't this kind of like tasing someone for illegal parking or jaywalking?

{"commentId":1698718,"threadId":"251098","contentId":"1434622","authorDomain":"Wheel"}

1 vote

#2 - Wed Apr 16, 2008 1:02 PM EDT

{"commentId":1699784,"authorDomain":"witchofthenorth"}

Glinda

Pretty much.

I assume they are armed for dealing with real crimes like assault but you know how much of that can there be on the Vancouver transit system?

{"commentId":1699784,"threadId":"251098","contentId":"1434622","authorDomain":"witchofthenorth"}

1 vote

#2.1 - Wed Apr 16, 2008 4:33 PM EDT

{"commentId":1709610,"authorDomain":"DrKnow"}

Dr Know

Bullies with badges, guns, tasers and a bad attitude.

{"commentId":1709610,"threadId":"251098","contentId":"1434622","authorDomain":"DrKnow"}

2 votes

#3 - Sat Apr 19, 2008 12:50 AM EDT

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GLINDA

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Vancouver Transit Cops Taser Riders for Not Paying

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