There was almost a 20 percent increase in reported uses of force by Regina Police in 2020.

A report released at a Board of Police Commissioners report on Tuesday shows 329 reported use of force incidents compared to 276 in 2019.

Types of force include physical force, using a conducted energy weapon or a Taser, canine deployment and tactics used to immobilize a vehicle.

Police Chief Evan Bray says these incidents put stress on the officer or officers involved.

“It’s dependent on the situation and how the officer assesses it and what they use to determine how they are going  to resolve the incident safely.” Bray told the Board. “After that, it goes to the use of force board to see if what was done was appropriate in that situation.

Bray mentioned an incident over the weekend where a taser was needed to bring someone under control who was threatening them with a needle.

Courtesy: Regina Police Service