B1. THE WOLFVILLE POLICE ISSUE

B1.:

Chair Paul Kennedy
Commission for Public Complaints
Against the RCMP
Western Region Office
7337 137 Street - Suite 102
Surrey, BC
V3W 1A4


June 02, 2008

Hollow-point bullets

Dear Mr. Kennedy:

Saw your name a couple of times in the news lately regarding your arguments on the use of the Taser weapons by the force. Let me assure you that you have my full support on this matter.

Personally, I believe that the force seems to have become “trigger-happy” in using the Taser.

My complaint is not the outcome of a direct confrontation with the RCMP. It is a more generalized one, and I am certain the public would be interested in this one as well.

As a citizen of the town of Wolfville in Nova Scotia I recently attended an open-door event of the local RCMP detachment.

I was received by a very nice young constable that day and we had a talk about weaponry and the use and/or misuse of the Taser. I was told that the use of the Taser had saved life, but we both know, it had cost some life as well.

In addition I was shown the common pistol of the force and - shockingly - a clip filled with hollow-point bullets. The top of the bullet was carved in several times to make it “mushroom” on impact even more. Such a bullet can and will create terrible and/or deadly wounds even if it was not aimed at a vital organ.

Having served in the Army in my younger years, I know that hollow-point bullets are prohibited for very good reasons by The Hague Convention to be used by soldiers in any conflicts of war.

The constable was unable to tell me the backing source for the use of these bullets in the federal and/or provincial legislation.

After I had mentioned the tremendous fire power of the 15 rounds of 9 mm bullets in a clip - even if it was not filled with hollow-point ones - and that a “violent” offender or criminal (e.g. being drunk and/or drugged otherwise and maybe unable to judge and control his or her actions towards a police officer at the time of being shot at) would be stopped on the spot after being hit by a regular 9 mm bullet and that he or she would have a much better chance to survive and stand trial, we became interrupted by the sergeant overhearing our conversation stating: “When I draw my pistol I do it with the intention to kill.”

This statement shocked me even more. So far I was under the obviously wrong impression that the motto of the police force reads “Serve and Protect” or vice versa, which does not include the killing part.
Furthermore, I can not accept that a police officer - a young constable after just having graduated from the Academy or an experienced senior on the force – would be allowed, entitled and empowered to play judge in a life-or-death matter in Canada’s democracy.

Thereafter, I had a word with an Executive Assistant of a Nova Scotia MLA, who set up a meeting with a public relations officer a the Wolfville RCMP detachment. This 30-year veteran then told me stories about dangerous situations he had been in and that a colleague had been killed in a shoot-out with a criminal. But all this could not convince me that the fire power of 15 regular rounds in a clip (and one in the chamber) would have to be drastically increased by the use of hollow-point bullets to better prevent and maybe stop a “very personally judged” threat to the life of a police officer. And if the officer can not cope with a threat to his or her life without the use of hollow-point bullets, he or she should look for a different job career in an entirely different field.

My concern is not meant just to favour really violent criminals, but a “death penalty” can not be at the sole discretion of a police officer in a heated confrontation.

Looking forward for your opinion on this matter I do thank you in advance.

Respectfully,


Lutz E. Becker