Use of Tasers troubles ACLU

[flashl]

Group cites lack of clear policies

RALEIGH - The improper use of Tasers has contributed to the deaths of 11 people in North Carolina over the past four years, in part because many law enforcement agencies lack clear policies about when and how they should be used, an advocacy group said Thursday.

The Taser Safety Project released a study it began in June on the use of Tasers by sheriff's departments in the state. The project is a coalition of the North Carolina chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Arc of North Carolina, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Mental Health Association of North Carolina and others.

Sheriff's offices in 70 of the state's 100 counties issue Tasers to some or all of their deputies, according to the study. Two departments use them only in the jail, and 28 departments don't use them at all. The group has only begun looking at North Carolina's police departments.

...

"First of all, why would you have a weapon with no policies around it at all?'' asked Jennifer Rudinger, executive director of the ACLU.

News Observer

[Callisto32]

1. The big problem seems to be..

that many of the officers equipped with these devices do not seem to be appropriately trained about just when exactly a less lethal (an important distinction from less-than-lethal) weapon is appropriately deployed.

There are many smaller problems, of course, such as having wavy guidelines, though in my case this is just hearsay, I haven't read any policies, myself.

I think this guy has a good outlook on this, and that we would be better served if more police officers took this view.

http://www.copinthehood.com/2008/04/taser-is-for-torture.html

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.