By Joshua Melvin
jmelvin@bayareanewsgroup.com
Posted: 05/24/2011 06:28:02 PM PDT
Updated: 05/24/2011 11:08:44 PM PDT
Menlo Park and East Palo Alto are the only two San Mateo County cities that don't arm officers with Tasers, and they should start doing so because the devices save money and prevent injuries, according to a grand jury report released Tuesday.
The grand jury found that Tasers, although still dangerous, reduce the likelihood that an officer will get hurt during a confrontation with a suspect. Injuries result in increased costs to taxpayers in the form of disability payments and higher insurance rates, the report said.
Both Menlo Park and East Palo Alto officials said they plan to explore arming their officers with Tasers. East Palo Alto police Chief Ron Davis said they are a "good tool," and he wants to begin talking with the community about them this summer. The department initially couldn't afford the roughly $40,000 to buy the devices, but now Davis said it's a question of getting residents' backing.
"There is a lot of stigma attached to it," he said. "But we're in a position where we can present an intelligent argument for devices that can reduce injuries to officers and (the public)."
Menlo Park police Chief Bryan Roberts said the prevailing wisdom in the department was that officers had enough tools to deal with unruly suspects. But Roberts came to the Peninsula from Citrus Heights, which uses Tasers. "I think they have a lot of value," Roberts said. "It is something we are going to evaluate here."
Officers from the 18 other city police departments in the county -- as well as BART police, San Mateo County Sheriff's Office deputies and California Highway Patrol officers -- all carry the devices. In total, the agencies' officers used their Tasers roughly 130 times over the past two years, with no reported deaths or serious injuries.
Officials of one city, which was not identified in the report, noted that a Taser was used to subdue a person who would have been shot.
However, critics have argued that Tasers can spur heart attacks in people who, for example, have a pre-existing condition or are under the influence of drugs. Some have also argued officers use the weapons to get control of people who could be subdued by other means.
"Taser devices can be misused by officers, just as any other use of force can be misused," the report said.
However, the jury didn't find any instance of improper use in the past two years. It noted that most agencies offer extensive training.
The jury recommended that the Sheriff's Office change its Taser-use policy, which says deputies have to make physical contact with a suspect before they are allowed to draw their stun guns. All the other departments that operate in the county use a different policy, which allows officers to use the less-lethal weapons whenever they decide its necessary.
Sheriff Greg Munks said deputies are already allowed to use whatever force they deem appropriate, including stun guns. But the Sheriff's Office policy is intended to keep deputies from using Tasers frequently and before other methods such as verbal commands and physical restraint holds. "I don't want them to go straight to the Taser," Munks said.
Contact Joshua Melvin at 650-348-4335.
http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county/ci_18131459?nclick_check=1
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