EPS, Edmonton city staff working to tighten bylaws on pepper and bear sprays
Officers in Edmonton want to crack down on a rise in pepper and bear spray use in urban areas and on Tuesday updated city councillors on desired bylaw changes that would give them more power.
Possessing non-restricted oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray is legal in Canada but Edmonton Police Service believes there are gaps in federal and provincial laws that make the products easy for criminals to use.
Right now, officers can only seize canisters that are used in a crime or are voluntarily surrendered by the owner, but police said criminals are tampering with the products making the cans more dangerous and harder to identify.
"With a lack of tools for frontline police stakeholders, we require a remedy to prevent the non-criminal discharge and carry of OC spray," Acting Sgt. Andrew Furman said at a meeting of the Community and Public Services Committee.
"We just want to make sure that people who are legitimate users of these products are conducting themselves in a safe and prudent manner."
Police want bylaw changes to make it illegal to tamper with or remove safety mechanisms. Tampering with, covering, or removing labels on the canisters would also be banned. Both of those acts would be possession offences regardless of whether or not a person uses the spray.
EPS also wants it to be a "nuisance-type offence for negligent discharge in a public place" and the service is asking for a broader definition of the sprays and business rules that are more consistent.
Officers said only some stores are requiring I.D. and maintaining records of who bought the spray.
OC sprays, which are often sold as protection against bears and dogs, are being used in parks and greenspaces only 2 per cent of the time, according to EPS data from 2015-21.
The service says 75 per cent of the time the sprays are involved in cases it's within 100 metres of bus stops and transit centres with more than 10,000 recorded incidents in the six years studied.
Overall, recorded "bear-spray-related occurrences" have risen from 1,711 in 2015 to 3,273 in 2021, EPS said.
The committee decided unanimously to accept EPS' report for information. City administrators will continue to work with EPS to draft bylaw changes, which will then require final approval from council.
"I was just astounded by the number of uses of the pepper spray, so it was a concern to me," Coun. Jo-Anne Wright said.
"I do appreciate the fact that EPS, our peace officers, our legal [staff] and everybody is going to work together on this."
The changes will likely be made in the public spaces and business bylaws which were already being updated.
"I think this will give an additional tool to EPS to reduce harm as well as hopefully reduce the number of [OC spray] incidents that we have seen in our city," Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said.
"This is not going to harm anyone. This is actually going to end up improving public safety and public places for people to enjoy."
Chilliwack and Surrey B.C. both have municipal bylaws on pepper and bear spray.
In 2021, then-Alberta justice minister Kaycee Madu penned a letter to the federal government to amend the Criminal Code so people could carry and use pepper spray in self-defence. The Liberal government rejected the idea.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.