COMMERCE - Commerce Police will soon undergo training before each is equipped with a taser in what the department says will significantly lower the risk of injury compared to physical force.
The technology gives officers another option when working to gain compliance from non compliant combative persons. The handheld devices allow officers to temporarily incapacitate subjects up to 35 feet away.
According to Community Resource Officer Alex Suarez, the department has purchased a bank of 8 TASER X26 less lethal force devices. A four hour training course is required by officers before they’re allowed to carry the taser on their person.
The Commerce Police Department offered the following information on tasers:
The advanced technology that TASER® International utilizes in its electronic control devices has been safely deployed more than 2.86 million times. In addition, more than 380 abstracts, research and safety studies have concluded that TASER® technology is among the safest response-to-resistance options available to law enforcement officials.
Contrary to popular belief, electrical voltage does not pose significant risk to humans. Harm from electricity is a result of amperage, or amps. A TASER® ECD transmits less than one amp of current (between 2.1 to 3.9 milliamps) — less than the amperage found in a standard Christmas tree bulb and exponentially less than the 16 amps in a 110-volt wall outlet.
TASER® technology has proven to reduce excessive use-of-force claims and has saved numerous lives, dramatically reduced injuries to both officers and suspects while reducing excessive use-of-force litigation.