Conducted Energy Weapon

The RCMP is pleased to provide factual information on the Conducted Energy Weapon (CEW) that makes up part of the tool kit used by trained officers.

The CEW was adopted in December of 2001 as another means to obtain compliance from resistant or combative subjects when police must arrest them. The tool allows police at such times to protect the public, and the subjects themselves, from harm.

The decision to do this followed several months of research, analysis, consultation with experts, and testing to ensure the tool was safe and effective.

A complete training program was also developed, and units were distributed to members only upon successful completion of this training.

New research in the area of the CEW is continuously monitored and reviewed by the RCMP in order that policies, protocols and training may be enhanced.

The information on this web page will outline this history in greater detail, describe the tool itself and how it works, and provide the policing framework into which the tool fits.