Mapping Happy Government

(not to be confused with Mappy the crime fighting(?) mouse)

I like maps. I like when governments post maps with key information that they own.  I’m always happy to learn about public entities that are map happy.

Recently, I was happy to learn about the Chicago Police Department’s CLEARmap website. First of all, someone actually took the time to come up with an acronym that worked, Citizen Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting (the CLEAR), so that scores a few points with me. I suppose it’s better than Sexy Maps Are Really Terrific (SMARTmaps).

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not some city-folk, craving data on crimes and other incidents in my neighborhood. I’m not out to see how “dangerous” my neighborhood is. I already live here, I already walk the streets the daily and I feel perfectly safe at any hour. However, its perhaps a little different seeing them here, on a map with a semi-physical location instead of in some newspaper’s crime blotter (just where in the heck is the 4600 block of S Bishop anyway?). I say semi-physical, because for as far as I can tell police only report crimes on the block level, instead of the specific address. I’m sure there’s some privacy dealie here going on.

The first map I pulled up was the Crime Incidents Map. This is what I refer to it being a little odd seeing the physical locations. For example, I’m not suddenly going to be afraid to hang out for a bus at W North and N Ashland (upper right).  On a sad note, there’s no prostitutes in my neighborhood. Speaking of crimes, I swear what I’m downloading on Bit Torrent is perfectly legal.

(All Images given smaller thumbnails to preserve the full details when you click to expand)

TTC examining use of Tasers for special constables

Just great.  The Toronto Star is reporting today that a consultant has been hired to examine whether TTC special constables should be better armed.  As TTC spokesperson Brad Roth so eloquently puts it, “be armed with firearms, tasers, that kind of thing.”  You know, those mildly lethal little gadgets cops just love to whip out at the slightest provocation.

It’s been well documented how I feel about Tasers in the hands of trained police officers, let alone “special” constables (see here and here).  So I won’t go on a full scale rant.  As usual, I recognize that being a special constable is a dangerous job (as the recent shooting on a subway car highlights).  That said, I have to agree with the chair of the TTC, Adam Giambrone:

Giambrone said he is not personally in favour of arming constables with either Tasers or guns. “No evidence has been provided to me so far that indicates our special constables have to be armed any further than they are today,” he said in an interview.  “In my opinion they don’t need to be armed any further. They have the backup of the Toronto police.”

By the way, Giambrone is quickly showing himself to be quite a politically savvy cat, keep an eye on him.

Anyway, to sum up.  Cops + Tasers = Bad; Lil’ Cops + Tasers = Worse.

A Post not about Iowa

 

Being a good American and with access to a blog (see new year’s resolutions #1, “me, me, me”) I feel like it is my civic duty to be blogging about Obama and Huckabee in a state known for its smiley faced water towers

But instead we’re going to hit two issues and loves of my life at once:

1) Megaman

2) Taser related deaths

I give you the latest and greatest (and arguably most distaste-est) in the Vancouver Taser Incident:

Another Canadian Taser related death?

I’m beginning to experience some “taser fatigue” from following this, but… 

Various news sources have been reporting on an incident in Nova Scotia that saw a man die in police custody 30 hours after being tasered.  Howard Hyde was tasered after struggling with police during his booking.  Diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, Hyde struggled with officers and jumped a counter before being tasered.

As my prior posts here, here, and here show, the frequency of these incidents is increasing (the “Perfect Storm” of taser-related incidents?) and is giving police forces and government officials fits as they struggle with how to deal with this.  And don’t fool yourself – I’m sure the people at TASER Intl. are cooking up some wicked propaganda on this issue, as well.

What remains to be seen is if police forces across Canada will continue to unequivocally back the use of Taser’s, or if some meaningful debate and regulations will emerge.

TASER-RELATED DEATHS IN CANADA

Amnesty International says 17 people have died in Canada since 2001 after stun-guns were used by police. Besides the death Thursday of Howard Hyde, 45, in Dartmouth, N.S., the case of Claudio Castagnetta, 32, is also being reviewed. Castagnetta died in Quebec on Sept. 20 two days after being hit with a Taser.

2007

Robert Dziekanski, 40, in the Vancouver Airport in October.

Quilem Registre, 39, in Montreal after being stopped by police on suspicion of drunk driving, also in October.

2006

Jason Dean, 28, in Red Deer while running from police in August. 2005

Alesandro Fiacco, 33, in Edmonton, arrested while wandering into traffic in December.

James Foldi, 39, of Beamsville, Ont. while being arrested for breaking and entering in July.

Paul Sheldon Saulnier, 42, while being restrained by police in Digby, N.S. in July.

Gurmeet Sandhu, 41, of Surrey, B.C., while being restrained during a domestic dispute in June.

Kevin Geldart, 34, in Moncton, N.B. in May during an altercation with police in a bar.

2004

Samuel Truscott, 43, of Kingston, Ont. was Tasered by police during arrest. His death was ruled a drug overdose. Jerry Knight, 29, a semi-pro boxer was Tasered by police at a Mississauga motel in July after complaints he had become violent.

Robert Bagnell, 54, while in custody of the Vancouver police in June. He had cocaine in his system.

Peter Lamonday, 33, while being restrained by police in London, Ont. in May.

Roman Andreichikov, 25, high on cocaine and being restrained by Vancouver police also in May.

Perry Ronald, 28, while being restrained by Edmonton police after jumping from a window in March.

2003

Clark Whitehouse, 34, tried to flee the Whitehorse RCMP after being stopped in traffic in September.

Clayton Alvin Willey, 33, of Prince George was also high on cocaine when Tasered by police while trespassing in July.

Terry Hanna, 51, was Tasered by Burnaby RCMP in April during a break-and-enter. Cocaine was also involved.

Criminal charges possible in Taser death

Well, well, well…perhaps the Conservative government of Canada is figuring it out. 

It appears that in a move to both calm public outrage over the recent tasering death of Robert Dziekanski as well as send a notice that the government is watching the RCMP, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day has said that an investigation of the actions of RCMP officers in the death of Dziekanski would include criminal charges if necessary.

What remains to be seen is if this will truly be a meaningful and transparent, or if the RCMP will call the shots.

Check out the other taser related posts here and here.

TASER UPDATE – Video of Robert Dziekanski Being Tasered at Vancouver Airport Released

Here’s an update to my previous post on taser deaths in Canada.

In the video we see a clearly distraught Robert Dizekanski moving furniture, throwing a computer, and apparently having a panic attack.  This goes on for a several minutes until the RCMP arrive.

Upon their arrival Dizekanski appears to calm down and seems to cooperate with their instructions.  When moved with his back against the counter we can not see Dizekanski’s hands, but there appears to be no movement on his part.

It is at this time that he is tasered for the first time.  This is quickly followed by two more shots from tasers.  At this point Dizekanski is screaming and convulsion on the ground.

You can view the video here.

CBC’s take is here.

The interesting thing is that the RCMP originally claimed to have tasered Dizekanski only twice.  In the video you can clearly hear three distinct cracks as each taser is fired, and possibly a fourth. 

So you have four large, armed RCMP members, once suspect who is not physically threatening the officers, and you’re telling me there is not a peaceful way to resolve this situation?

Here’s what I think happened.  It’s late, these RCMP officers would rather be someplace else, and they get a call about “some crazy foreign guy” at the airport.  They show up, this guy doesn’t speak any English (or French, because as federal employees I’m sure they’re bilingual, right?) and they think “Aw, another stupid immigrant invading our country – let’s waste him rather than take the time to solve this.”

Or maybe the four RCMP are technophiles and were so distraught at seeing a $100 monitor destroyed that they decided to balance the score-sheet with this guys life?

Basically, anyway you cut it the RCMP ends up looking like trigger happy sadists who were all too eager to try out their toys.

I mean, how much meaningful dialogue took place (even hand gestures would have helped!) in the 30 seconds it took the RCMP to pull their tasers?  Exactly – none.  So, after watching this video, I’d like to hear from all the defenders of the RCMP and tasers now.

Off-duty Police Officers Shoot and Kill 17-year-old in D.C.

Here’s an interesting tie-in to my earlier post on the “ShotSpotter” that was being set up in Boston.

Apparently, Washingon D.C. has also rolled one out a while ago, and it is playing a part in the recent shooting death of a 17-year-old by two off duty police officers.

At first glance this seems very cut and dry: officers a pursuing a robbery suspect are fired upon and return fire, killing the suspect.  This, however, doesn’t appear to be the case.  Apparently these two officers were off duty when they discovered that one of their motorbikes was stolen.  So, they do what any good cop would do – they go vigilante.  After driving around the neigbourhood they eventually spot  DeOnte Rawlings.  After giving chase, the officers claim they were fired upon, after which they climbed out of their SUV and shot Rawlings.

There are three unsettling things here.  First, the officers were off duty, out of uniform, and acting on their own.  Second, no gun has been recovered, although according to ShotSpotter .45 caliber was fired.  And third, the officers NEVER IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS POLICE.  So, all this guy knew was that he was being chased by two guys in a SUV.

Futhermore, the police are relying on the evidence of ShotSpotter and its anlysts, none of which is allowable as evidence, nor is there any public oversight of this private organization.

Just some more food for thought for everyone who feels like the police can never do any wrong.  Check out the article here.

2nd Canadian Taser Death in One Week

UPDATE: You can view a new post on this topic and the video here.

UPDATE: This post has been garnering lots of interest, so I thought I’d move it up to the top again and provide a link to a story from the Edmonton Journal.  Another “cop said/tasered guy said” case.  This time someone is tasered for jaywalking and getting a little uppity.  Apparently, “Have you ever heard of a crosswalk?” is Edmonton Police code for “You are breaking the law and I will taser you if you don’t stop walking.”

So, as usual, Jimsey is ahead of the curve on the news. Check out his post on Taser’s from Oct. 9th.

Now, in the span of one week, two people have died as a result of being tasered. One man at Vancouver’s airport died shortly after being tasered by police. Vancouver Police continue to maintain that his death was in no way related to the two blasts from a police Taser.

While police are working hard to deduce what possibly could have killed the man in Vancouver, Montreal Police are now linked to the death of Quilem Registre. Quilem was apparently stopped by police, was unarmed, but must have been enough of a threat that police felt the need to shock him not once, not twice, but SIX times. Yes, that’s approximately 300,000 volts the police felt was required to subdue this man. I think 300,000 volts would stop an elephant, let alone a man.

There are two very revealing statements that came out of this most recent death:

1. “If you don’t have that Taser gun, you’re going to have to use your handgun,” said the Quebec municipal police federation’s president Denis Cote.
2. When the issue of a possible lawsuit was raised, here is what Taser V.P. Steve Tuttle had to say:
   • “We’re 59 and 0 in court. That’s a great record right there because we can get rid of the junk science in a courtroom setting,” Steve Tuttle, vice-president of TASER International Inc. told CTV Newsnet.

There are a couple of things that spring to mind immediately. First, the only option for Quebec police to subdue a person beside the Taser is to shoot them? Remind me not to steal any poutine the next time I’m in Montreal.

Also, that V.P. sounds like a giant ass. You know, the kind who’s mother even wants to take a tire-iron to his head. And junk science? How much money do you think Taser has poured into various “research” projects in order to establish that there is no connection between these and the 14 other deaths and the use of a Taser in the last 5 years?

Is anyone else prepared to get a little pissed about this?