PSOs will carry new batons in January

The local security force has been patrolling without the weapons for the last six months, after hitting a bureaucratic snag when it tried to upgrade its side-sticks to telescopic batons. "We realized we'd never had authorization before," said Public Security Captain Richard Bourdon.

So the old sticks were retired, not be replaced. But on Dec. 7, Public Security received the OK — they could once again carry the weapon.

And this time it was official.

City Councillor Gary Ikeman, Westmount's public security commissioner, says the crew will get the most modern devices on the market. "They're appropriate for this specific type of operation," he said. "They're used by security forces across North America."

However, they won't be carrying them until the new year.

Bourdon says the shipment of the new model is in and ready to be used — once the officers are trained. They'll soon be attending a five-day course on use of force. Only then can they latch the device to their belts before heading out on patrol.

The officers rarely rely on the device, said Bourdon. "It's a last resort. It's very, very rare we use it," he said.

In his two years with the force, Bourdon says he's never seen a case where the baton is necessary. He estimates that it has been used only about five times in the last 20 years.

People tend to calm down quickly when a PSO just reaches for the baton, he noted.

But Bourdon added the weapon is more commonly used for defence than offence. He recalled the Oct. 22 incident in which an aggressive man corralled an officer in his patrol vehicle and repeatedly smashed the windshield. The officer had to call for back-up. "It's a protective equipment," Bourdon said.