Saskatoon police used spit socks more, firearms less in 2020: report

Saskatoon police attribute their increased use of disposable “spit socks” last year to concern about COVID-19 being transmitted by detainees threatening to spit at arresting officers.

The socks — disposable covers that can be pulled over the head of a detained person — were used 57 per cent more often in 2020 than in 2019, according to a new report to the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners.

The annual use of force report, which is on the agenda for Thursday’s police board meeting, says overall use of force declined slightly from 271 incidents in 2019 to 263 in 2020.

Police also responded to fewer calls last year. In 2020, officers were dispatched 74,411 times, compared to 86,144 times in 2019.

The report notes declines in most categories of uses of force, including physical strikes, which decreased by more than half, from 107 in 2019 to 52 in 2020.

In some categories, notably use of spit socks, diversionary devices and deployment of the tactical support team — all referred to as “preventative uses of force” — there were increases.

In 2020, police recorded 44 uses of spit socks, according to the report. Based on information provided on individual use of force reports, this was often attributed to a “perceived (or) threatened attempt” of the detained person “to spit the COVID-19 disease at arresting officers,” the report states.

In 2019, spit socks were used 28 times.

The tactical team was deployed 62 times, to 45 occurrences, in 2020 (some occurrences have more than one deployment), compared to 35 occurrences in 2019. The unit used physical force twice in 2020, the report states. The unit used diversionary devices — which police say are meant to distract a person so police can have a “safe opportunity” to arrest them — 18 times last year, compared to 10 times in 2019.

Overall, uses of conducted energy weapons — Tasers — were down last year, used 25 times compared to 32 in 2019.

Injuries also decreased in 2020. Last year, 108 injuries to suspects and 22 injuries to officers were reported. In 2019, 119 injuries to suspects and 26 injuries to officers were reported.

Police also reported fewer instances of discharging and pointing their firearms last year, with the exception of using firearms to destroy animals, which remained the same (12 times) in 2020.

Otherwise, officers reported pointing firearms five times and firing them twice in 2020; they reported pointing them 14 times and firing them 12 times in 2019.

The use of force report will be up for discussion at Thursday’s police board meeting.

tjames@postmedia.com

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