Texas Police Chief Wants More TASER Devices

Four years ago San Antonio police officers first began carrying TASER devices on them during their working hours on the streets, and a police chief believes it’s all thanks to these self defense weapons that have helped to save many lives.

Not only that, but the police chief credits the utilization of these devices with decreasing the amount of injuries that a police officer would incur in physical confrontations with a suspect, in addition to reducing the harm to the suspect.

In 2006, when the TASER weapons first hit the streets in San Antonio there were only 80; in 2007 that number raised to 144; in 2008 it increased to 189; and in 2009 there were 237 self defense devices assigned to police officers in the department.

Before an officer is allowed to carry such a device they must first undergo extensive training. The manufacturer of these devices deems that only eight hours is required before a protection weapon can be given to an officer; however the police department requires that its officers complete 16 hours of training, plus an extra 40 hours of Crisis Intervention training before they are completely qualified to handle a TASER device.

As a result of the thorough training involved, the police chief in San Antonio believes that these devices are extremely effective; furthermore it prepares an officer when they are confronted with individuals who may be of a mental state or are armed. The only time it is forbidden for an officer to operate a device on a person is when that person is high and has been taking drugs, as the shock of the device could prove life threatening. During the training police officers know what to look out for when dealing with an individual who may have taken drugs.

Because of the success that these TASER weapons have produced in the San Antonio department, and their effectiveness, the police chief is calling for all his officers to eventually be equipped with them, which will better their chances at reducing the amount of harm caused to an officer and a suspect when an impact weapon is employed instead.