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Tasers now carried by most officers
(by Joan Demirjian - November 30, 2011)
Tasers now carried by most officers
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Tasers are now being carried by most local law-enforcement departments.
While there is occasional controversy over their use, Tasers are an important option when a higher level of force is necessary, according to local police officers.
They use the electronic control devices with training and must be recertified on a regular basis. In one department, Tasers have taken the place of pepper spray.
Chagrin Falls Police Chief James Brosius said the department's officers are trained and certified to use Tasers. "We've had them for several years," he said. "We don't use pepper spray anymore.
"These Tasers give distance and they work," he said. "We don't want to use deadly force," Mr. Brosius said. Even a police officer's baton can cause injuries, he said.
Chagrin Falls Police Department has a policy in place that states that the department's police are to use only that level of force reasonably necessary to control an individual or subject who is violent, potentially violent or whose resistant, combative or noncompliant behavior poses a threat to the officers or others.
Officers in the department take training to use the Tasers and must be recertified once a year, Mr. Brosius said.
The primary use is as a weapon, which propels two probes, electronically connected by wire, into someone who is combative or out of control.
The electronic pulses delivered by the officer temporarily disable the combative subject.
The department's policy requires that subjects having contact with Taser probes must be examined for any injuries and statements from all witnesses and other involved must be obtained.
After a use, a complete critique must be forwarded to the police chief, captain and departmental training officer, according to Mr. Brosius.
Bainbridge Police Chief Jon Bokovitz said his department has purchased Tasers, however the officers have not yet taken the training for their use.
Each officer will carry one. "Research shows they are effective," Mr. Bokovitz said. "It is another tool like pepper spray," he said.
Chester Police Chief Mark Purchase said his department has used them since 2004. Officers have successfully used them on two occasions, he said. "It gives the officer another option to do his job while keeping everyone safe." The goal is to help resolve a situation as peacefully as possible, he said.
Geauga County Sheriff Daniel McClelland said uniformed deputies carry Tasers and must take training on a regular basis. The use of Tasers is part of the continuum of force, Mr. McClelland said.
"Our deputies carry a host of tools," Mr. McClelland said. Communication skills are the first and foremost as well as self-defense and use of hands and arms. Next would be pepper spray followed by the baton. One deputy has the use of a trained dog, Mr. McClelland said.
"It depends on each situation on what tool will be used," he said. "One size doesn't fit all situations. Tasers are just another option."
"We still carry pepper spray," he said. "We try to provide various tools and to select what's best. A Taser is getting high up on the continuum of force. It is not deadly, but it is up there with the night stick."
The department has had to use the Taser in situations where they have had to take action to bring things under control and to stop violence, he said.
"In my 35-year career, we have advanced from stun guns and Mace to pepper spray and Tasers which are more effective," Mr. McClelland said.
He said he has seen bar fights where Mace did not stop the individuals. Stun guns require close contact, and were not a good option, Mr. McClelland said. With Tasers, an officer can be 20 feet away.
"The goal is not to use deadly force," he said. On the other hand, if someone comes at an officer with a club or gun, use of words is not effective, and you can Taser them from a distance."
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