Law Enforcement Overview

Every Officer Deserves A Safer Job

TASER ECDs reduce officer injuries by up to 80%.
Law enforcement officers don’t get paid to fight. TASER International offers a powerful and a safer use-of-force options to subdue violent offenders and inmates that are safer compared to traditional hands-on force tactics. The TASER ECDs allow officers to incapacitate dangerous or violent subjects from a distance - regardless of the physical size of the officer and regardless of the size, strength and mental state of the subject. (See Figure 1.1).

Fewer Officer Injuries Mean Fewer Worker's Compensation Claims and Less Officer Downtime

In 2002, the Granite City Police Department in Illinois was at risk of being privately uninsurable. Worker’s Compensation claims were at an all time high. The department was given 12 months by its insurance carrier to improve its status and save their insurability. Seventy percent of the major claims were incurred during interventions with mentally disturbed and/or impaired subjects wherein officers were forced to physically engage subjects at close quarters. The TASER Officer Safety Program was part of a three-prong strategy to reduce risk exposure. Within the first year, no officer injuries were incurred as a result of engaging combative subjects and no lost time was claimed as a result of officer combat. In fact, force-related injury claims were completely eliminated for the next two years. (See Figure 1.2).

Reduce Suspect Injuries By Up To 80%

While most people know that a TASER ECD is certainly far safer to the recipient than a bullet from a firearm, many people do not realize that a TASER device exposure represents a significantly lower risk of injury than traditional hands-on force tactics. When faced with a violent, resistant subject – the use of a TASER device reduces the risk of injury not only to the officers involved, but the offender as well. (See Figure 1.3).

Figure 1.1

Figure 1.2

Figure 1.3

World Class Scientific Support and Safety Studies

There have been over 120 independent studies of TASER devices. This body of scientific evidence shows that while TASER devices are not risk free, they are among the safest use-of-force alternatives available. In fact, TASER devices are among the most extensively studied use-of-force options on the market today. When you are investigating force options, ask for the facts and you will find that only TASER brand technology has this level of safety and technical documentation. (See Figure 1.4).

The Unprecedented Accountability of TASER Devices Reduce Citizen Complaints By Up To 50%

In addition to our industry leading Neuro-Muscular Incapacitation (NMI) technology, TASER has also led the way in developing advanced technology for officer accountability. Enhanced accountability not only helps deter misuse, but it protects the careers of law enforcement/correctional officers by providing documentary evidence to refute false claims of excessive force.

Anti-Felon Identification (AFID)
Each TASER Cartridge is numbered, bar-coded and disperses up to 20-30 serialized confetti pieces when discharged - this can determine which officer deployed the TASER device. (See Figure 1.5a).

Dataport Time/Date Firing Records
TASER devices provide a built-in audit tracking system. It records the time and date of every trigger pull - verifying usage patterns to corroborate an officer's report or to audit an alleged misuse. (See Figure 1.5b).

TASER CAM Audio & Video Recording
The TASER CAM™ records over 1.5 hours of black and white MPEG 4 audio and video data. It even records in complete darkness with an infra-red camera. An optional upgrade system, the TASER CAM is compatible with all TASER X26 devices and provides another layer of accountability to corroborate an officer’s report. (See Figure 1.5c).

Enhanced Accountability Reduces Citizen Complaints

Due to the unparalleled accountability in TASER devices, law enforcement agencies deploying TASER systems could report significant drops in use-of-force complaints. Further, the audit capabilities of TASER devices make it much easier to defend against frivolous lawsuits. Several correctional officers have reported their careers were saved from baseless allegations of abuse specifically because the dataport downloads from the TASER device factually disproved the allegations. (See Figure 1.6).

Figure 1.4

Figure 1.5a

Figure 1.5b

Figure 1.5c

Figure 1.6

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Last Updated: 3/26/2008 11:34 AM