Are Tasers proving their worth for American police departments?

Tasered While Black (publisher) says: Well The Ventura County Star seems to think it works for he Ventura County Sheriff's Department. And they have data to back it up. Sounds like other police departments could learn a lot from the Ventura County. read the article (below). What do you think?

They write, 'When the Ventura County Sheriff's Department decided just over a year ago to arm its deputies with Tasers, The Star asked for an annual report so the public could evaluate their use and gauge their effectiveness. The department responded, and the numbers show Tasers — small handheld weapons that deliver an electrical shock to a violent suspect — have reduced the risk of injury to deputies, offenders and members of the public. Remarkably, Ventura County sheriff's deputies have not been forced to shoot anyone with a gun since 2006, a statistic the Sheriff's Department attributes to Tasers being fully implemented by the department.

From 2000 to 2006, there were, by comparison, 17 deputy-involved shootings in the Ventura County sheriff's jurisdiction. Statistics kept since 2002 indicate that the majority of those shootings involved suspects who were mentally ill.

In 2007, deputies used Tasers approximately 123 times or just over 10 times a month, Chris Godfrey, a commander in the Sheriff's Department, told The Star's Editorial Board at a meeting Tuesday. Of the 123 total uses, confrontations were resolved successfully 107 times.

Tasers have proved to be so useful to law enforcement that all police departments in Ventura County now use them, according to Cmdr. Godfrey.

For the most part, deputies used their Tasers in situations such as suicide prevention, pursuits, subduing the emotionally disturbed and those under the influence of alcohol and drugs. All those hit with a Taser, via dart-like probes, became incapacitated. However, once the Taser is shut off, those hit recover immediately.

Cmdr. Marty Rouse knows firsthand what it feels like, having been "tased" during training. "It is like all your organs are doing a dance," he told The Star Editorial Board. "It's incapacitation."

Among the department's 2007 findings:

— In 22 incidents, fear of being hit with a Taser was enough to make a suspect quit resisting and surrender.read More HERE

Use of Tasers By Police - The Use of Force

Hat Tip: Electronic Village

I have taken the liberty of reposting a great post by Villager, at Electronic Village regarding what is termed the Use of Force Continuum

AAPP
Publisher, Tasered While Black

The Force Continuum

More Force Deadly Force Less Lethal Pepper Spray, Baton, Taser Empty Hand Control Verbal Commands Less Force Officer Presence

The Force Continuum

We have talked about the more frequent use of tasers by police on citizens of all genders, races and ages. Tasers have been used on hearing-impaired and pregnant people in recent months. Many of us feel that the taser is used too quickly. It turns out that the police have a very specific process that they follow. It is called the 'use of force continuum'.

There may be local variations, however, a police test guru indicates that the force continuum is broken down into six broad levels. Each level is designed to be flexible as the need for force changes depending on the situation. The six levels are:

1. Level One * Officer Presence - The mere presence of a police officer in uniform or in a marked police unit is often enough to stop a crime in progress or prevent most situations from escalating. Without saying a word, the mere presence of a police officer can deter crime by the simple use of body language and gestures. At this level gestures should be non-threatening and professional. This "zero" level of force is always the best way to resolve any situation if possible.


2. Level Two * Verbal Commands - Used in combination with a visible presence, the use of the voice can usually achieve the desired results. Whether you instruct a person to, "Stop.", "Don't Move.", "Be quiet.", "Listen to me.", "Let me see your ID.", or, "You're under arrest."-- voice commands in conjunction with your mere presence will almost always resolve the situation. The content of the message is as important as the officer's demeanor. It’s always best to start out calm but firm and non-threatening. The choice of words and intensity can be increased as necessary, or used in short commands in more serious situations. The right combination of words in combination with officer presence can de-escalate a tense situation and prevent the need for a physical altercation. Training and experience improves the ability of a police officer to communicate effectively with everyone she comes in contact with.


3. Level Three * Empty Hand Control - Certain situations will arise where words alone will not reduce the aggression. This is the time police officers will need to get involved physically. This is a level of control employed by police officers minus the aid of equipment or weapons. There are two subcategories called, “soft empty hand techniques” and “hard empty hand techniques.” Soft Empty Hand Techniques: At this level minimal force would involve the use of bare hands to guide, hold, and restrain -- applying pressure points, and take down techniques that have a minimal chance of injury. Hard Empty Hand Techniques: At this level the use of force includes kicks, punches or other striking techniques such as the brachial stun or other strikes to key motor points that have a moderate chance of injury.


4. Level Four * Pepper Spray, Baton, Taser - When the suspect is violent or threatening, more extreme, but non-deadly measures must be used to bring the suspect under control, or affect an arrest. Before moving to this level of force, it is assumed that less physical measures have been tried and deemed inappropriate. Pepper spray results in considerable tearing of the eyes, as well as temporary paralysis of the larynx, which causes subjects to lose their breath. Contact with the face causes a strong burning sensation. Pepper spray, once thought an effective street tool for police officers has lost popularity over the years because of its ineffectiveness, especially on intoxicated persons. The typical baton is a round stick of various lengths, and is made of hardwood, aluminum or plastic composite materials. A blow with a baton can immobilize a combative person, allowing officers to affect an arrest. Common impact weapon used by police today include the PR-24 and collapsible baton. The Taser discharges a high voltage spark (50,000 volts) at very low amperage. The Taser fires two small darts, connected to wires, which drops a suspect at non-contact distance. These devices are easily carried. They are lightweight and affordable. Extensive training is not required, and they may be more effective on persons under the influence of PCP and other drugs who do not respond to chemical irritants. They can be especially useful for controlling non-criminal violent behavior, such as persons who are mentally impaired, or under the influence of mind-altering substances.


5. Level Five * Less Lethal - This is a newer, acceptable and effective level of force that numerous police agencies have added to their use of force continuum policy and procedure. Less-lethal weapons were developed to provide law enforcement, military and corrections personnel with an alternative to lethal force. They were designed to temporarily incapacitate, confuse, delay, or restrain an adversary in a variety of situations. They have been used in riots, prison disturbances, and hostage rescues. Less-lethal weapons are valuable when: Lethal force is not appropriate. Lethal force is justified and available for backup but lesser force may subdue the aggressor. Lethal force is justified but its use could cause collateral effects, such as injury to bystanders or life-threatening damage to property and environment.


6. Level Six * Deadly Force - If a police peace officer has probable cause to believe that a suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others then the use of deadly force is justified (see Tennessee v. Garner). By the very nature of the profession, peace officers may at times be confronted with a potentially lethal threat. In most of these instances, peace officers will have no other option but to discharge their firearm in order to protect their life or, the life of others.

Here is a link to the rest of his post and a great blog by: The Electronic Village

PS: Double Hat Tip and Shout Out to Villager, who was a key motivator for the creation of the blog Tasered While Black.
Hat Tip Police Test

University of Florida police a /new policy on the use of Tasers.

As reported by ABC News

University of Florida police have a new policy on the use of Tasers.

That comes after a September incident in which student Andrew Meyer yelled "Don't Tase me bro!" as he was zapped with a stun gun and arrested after persistently questioning Senator John Kerry at an on-campus event.

The revised policy prohibits using stun guns on a person who is passively resisting or running from police.

But the university says even if the new rules were in place, officers would have been justified in their handling of Meyer. More HERE

Tasers Purchased by Gastonia Police Department

All officers have taken a class on its use, but only 50 carrying the weapon

Charlotte Observer

Fifty of Gastonia's 167 police officers are now carrying Tasers.

Getting stun guns for the department has been a three-year project, which has allowed the department to learn from others' mistakes in their use, Gastonia Police Sgt. Paul Smith said. A grant paid for the Tasers, which cost about $1,000 each, he said. The department would like to eventually buy a Taser for each officer.

A Taser sends electrical impulses that temporarily disrupt the body's central nervous system, causing muscles to go limp.

The Tasers have been split among the department's units, but all officers have taken a class to learn about the Taser even if they aren't carrying one yet, Smith said.

Like any new law enforcement tool, Tasers have created their share of controversy. Smith said the delay in getting Tasers has allowed the department to create a policy that establishes clear guidelines for when a Taser should be used. More HERE

Tasing Victims "Getting Paid" and "Changing Police Tasing Policy" at the same time

Lakewood pays man $90,000 to settle Taser lawsuit

H/T Adam Lynn; adam.lynn@thenewstribune.com

Source: the news tribune.com

The city of Lakewood has settled a lawsuit brought by a man who said police officers shot him with a stun gun and roughed him up because he refused to submit to medical aid after suffering an epileptic seizure.

William Grider and his wife, Kathy, agreed to drop their personal injury suit against the city, the Police Department, Chief Larry Saunders and four police officers in exchange for $90,000 and the city’s promise to implement a new policy dictating when officers can use Tasers on people.

City officials signed the settlement agreement last month.

The city admitted no wrongdoing, and police officials said last week that their officers acted appropriately during their interaction with Grider.

“The decision on how to best settle the matter of the lawsuit was made by our insurance provider,” Lakewood police spokesman Lt. Dave Guttu said in an e-mail. “We accept their decision without any fault on our part.”

Guttu also said the Taser policy changes cited in the settlement were not a direct result of the Griders’ legal action against the city.

The Griders filed a $300,000 claim against the city in May 2007, then sued in September in Pierce County Superior Court. The case later was moved to U.S. District Court at the request of city attorneys, who argued the Griders’ complaints concerned constitutional issues better heard in federal court.

Police officials had been working on an update to the department’s rules on stun guns for nearly a year before the Griders filed their claim, Guttu said.

The department’s revised policy on the use of Tasers – which went into effect Jan. 1 – now requires officers to consider whether someone might suffer from a medical condition like multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy or epilepsy before they shock them with stun guns.

“In such cases, the need to stop the behavior should clearly justify the potential for additional risks,” the policy states.

The previous policy warned officers only against using Tasers on pregnant women. More HERE

Note:

Tasered While Black Publisher says: This may be the way to go for black folks who get Tasered While Black, and the police are at fault. Sue them, get paid, and get the city, county or sheriff's tasering and training changed at the same time.

Thoughts?

Police Tasing Policy

Photo by Karl Gehring.

Lawrence Police asking to test Tasers

Source: Lawrence Journal World - Lawrence, KS, USA

The Lawrence Police Department wants to start a pilot project that could lead to all patrol officers carrying Tasers.

Check out their draft Taser Policy

The purpose of this policy is to provide officers with guidance and direction on the use of electronic control devices.

It is the policy of the Lawrence Police Department to use only that level of force that is reasonably necessary to prevent harm to an officer or another person or to effect a lawful arrest. ECDs may be used by authorized and trained personnel in accordance with the use of force policy and additional guidelines established herein. Link to Proposed city policy for Taser use

City staff memo on Taser usage