Working Group: Tasers are Good Tool When Used Right

Use of Force Working Group Chair Robert Cindrich says after months of study the working group was, “convinced by the evidence that it heard and reviewed that the use of Tasers by police officers generally represents an improvement in safety for both the public and for police officers as compared to others forms of weapons. Provided that they are used in the context of proper and well developed policy, training, supervision and accountability.” Working group member and report author David Harris says studies have found officers are 70% less likely to be injured in departments where Tasers are allowed and the public is 40% less likely to be injured. But Harris says the use of Tasers is not without risk and policies need to be in place at any department that uses them. He laid out 6 key items that must be in any policy.

Any Taser policy must make the safety of police and the public a top priority.
A Taser should not be used on those passively resisting.
Departments should give careful consideration to use against defensive resistance. (Such as holding on to a pole)
Every policy on Taser use should be part of the department’s overall use of force policy.
Taser use should be limited to one 5-second exposure and before a second exposure is given there needs to be a pause for reevaluation and careful consideration given to the risk and need.
Tasers should be used only in extreme circumstances with the young (under 7), elderly (over 70), pregnant, and mentally and physically ill.
Tasers should not be used near flammables or explosives, when the suspect could be subject to a dangerous fall, on drivers of vehicles, or as a punitive measure.

Harris says the working group also feels that any Taser policy should be made public. Some police departments disagree with that saying it is a tactical policy that when published gives criminals too much information. The report also calls for a report to be generated any time a Taser is used by police. Harris says most departments already require a report when any type of force is used. The report also recommends that each department that deploys officers into schools have policies regarding the use of Tasers on students.
The report did not outline training procedures other than to say they should be tied to the use policy.
As a Member of the working group Harris was Tasered and said it felt like a painful full-body cramp and for the 5 seconds it was happening he had only one thought, “stop this.”
The working group was formed last year in the wake of the August 2008 death of Andre Thomas, of Swissvale.

Taser is a trademark name for an “electronic control device.”

Download the full report here.