2008 Woodie Awards
Use of Taser guns justified if officers trained properly
Editorial
Issue date: 4/1/05 Section: Opinion
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We at The Ranger think that if used properly and not abused, they are fine, since Tasers have greatly reduced police injuries.
Some of the pros of Taser use are:
* By being an electrical charge, it replaces bullets.
* Deters suspects from resisting arrest.
* Reduces injuries to officers by allowing them to subdue a suspect from a distance.
The flip side is that they are:
* Linked by Amnesty International to 13 deaths in the past five years.
* More expensive then pepper spray, so that means more taxes.
* Officers may use the device when it is not warranted.
According to a story at abcnews.com dated Jan. 30, South Carolina police used Tasers on a 75-year-old women who was distraught over not being able to find her sick friend.
In Miami, Fla., police used the Taser on a 12-year-old girl when she was caught skipping class.
We at The Ranger believe those are not reasons to use such a device as a Taser.
Some think police are abusing the Taser gun, but the percentage of police abusing this device is small.
Abuse of the Taser has taken place in several places, but such abuse has been reported and the officers have been reprimanded. The excuse given is poor training.
Firing 50,000 volts of electricity into a person is better then a bullet. There is no telling where the bullet might go or whether it might accidentally hit a bystander, but the Taser can be aimed and fired right at the target with little chance it will hit anyone else.
There also is less chance of a police officer getting hurt.
The longterm after-effects are unknown, but they still are better then a gun that no doubt can cause death or serious injury.
Some police stations temporarily have put a hold on using Tasers until more research can be done on the health risks.
Taser International Inc., which makes the stun guns, has said they are among the safest ways to subdue a violent person.
Taser policies, just like gun policies, include accountability. Whenever a Taser is used, the use is recorded. Later, the officers must account for the use of the Taser.
Abuse of these weapons is looked upon badly, and consequences vary by police departments.
Tasers should be used in place of guns, not just whenever a police officer gets an itch to zap someone.
We think that because police put their lives on the line every day to protect us or keep us within the bounds of the law, they should have the best protection possible.
If Tasers are helping more than they are hurting, then police should be trained correctly and Tasers should be available. We are sure the gun wasn't just accepted right away, either.