Sault Ste. Marie Police Service has seen an increase in use of force reports so far in 2021.
Statistics provided by police to the Police Services Board show that a total of 87 use of force reports were filed by officers from January to May of this year, compared to 46 reports filed in the same five-month period in 2020.
The 87 reports stem from 55 incidents where members of the police service used force during the first five months of 2021 - 29 of those reports, stemming from 14 incidents and mainly involving officers pointing firearms and conductive energy weapons, were filed in the month of May alone.
“In the last month we’ve had five weapon calls, three major cases including homicides and attempted murders, two warrants and four major investigations - arson, sudden death, human remains,” said Sault Ste. Marie Police Service Chief Hugh Stevenson, speaking to SooToday following Thursday’s police board meeting. “So when you add all of that up...I mean, obviously when our officers are put in a dangerous situation, they have to protect life - themselves and members of the public.”
Police pointed firearms at individuals 50 times during the first five months. In just one instance a firearm was discharged - a single shot for the humane dispatch of a moose that was struck by a tractor trailer back in May.
Non-lethal options included a conductive energy weapon being displayed 29 times and deployed 13 times. Impact weapons - like a baton, or pepper spray - were used five times. A total of 13 ‘empty hand’ techniques were used, in addition to a single canine bite.
The police service states that there may be updated numbers to previous months that were outstanding due to discrepancies from previous monthly reports, according to a monthly report provided by Sault Ste. Marie Police Service to the Police Services Board.