B.C.’s new Taser laws may give police clear direction about when to use the weapon, but some critics say more laws are required to protect the public.

The new standards, which came into effect Monday, require all provincial police forces to be trained in crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques. Const. Lindsey Houghton, VPD spokesperson, said the department has already adopted many of the recommendations.

But David Eby, executive director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, said the guidelines don’t go far enough.

“There are no restrictions in the policy around using a Taser on a child or on seniors and I expect that we will see increased restrictions in the future,” he said.

He cautioned that because the policy gives clear indications of when the weapon can be used, officers might be more inclined to deploy it.

The changes are based on Commissioner Thomas Braidwood’s 18 recommendations after the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski in 2007.