Canadian police using less force

OTTAWA, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Police officers in Ottawa used force much less often in 2007, which officials linked to extra pay given for refresher training on Tasers and guns.

The figures came to light at a meeting Monday night of the Police Services Board, where the number of uses of Tasers, guns and physical control were all down, while the use of pepper spray was up marginally, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

Ottawa Police Chief Vern White credited better training, offered at 11-month intervals and including bonuses called responsibility pay, as the reason, the report said.

He told the CBC the voluntary course encourages officers to talk more before resorting to the use of contact, guns or Tasers.

Physical control was at an eight-year low with 45 incidents, Taser use was at a five-year low with 12 reported incidents, and officers drew guns 212 times, the lowest incidence since 2002, White said.

Guns were fired 51 times last year, all of them targeting animals, he said.

The chief said while encouraged by the numbers, it wasn't so much how often police use force, but whether they are using it appropriately.