RSS Feeds
Categories
- Barack Obama (31)
- Bob Barr (1)
- Bullshit (5)
- Campaign Finance (1)
- Celebrity Endorsements (3)
- Charlie Crist (1)
- Chuck Norris
- Duncan Hunter
- Elephant Droppings (2)
- Florida (1)
- Fred Thompson (1)
- Fried Squirrel (2)
- Gaffes (1)
- Gov. Pawlenty (2)
- Hillary Clinton (26)
- John Cox
- John Edwards (2)
- John McCain (34)
- Local Republicans (4)
- Media (14)
- Michigan (1)
- Mike Gravel (1)
- Mike Huckabee (12)
- Minneapolis
- Minnesota Caucus (6)
- Minnesota elections (1)
- Mitt Romney (14)
- National Republicans (17)
- New Hampshire (3)
- Primary (6)
- Race Relations (2)
- Ralph Nader
- Republican National Committee
- Republican National Convention (16)
- Ron Paul (9)
- Rudy Giuliani (8)
- Sam Brownback (2)
- Sen. Norm Coleman
- Sex (6)
- Shameless Whores (4)
- St. Paul (2)
- Tom Tancredo
- cPod (1)
Archives
Recent Entries
- RNC host committee recruits steroid user to lecture us about Minnesota Nice
- Big Bet Politics: what craps and poker say about McCain and Obama
- Why Mitt Romney will be John McCain's Running Mate
- Submarines! Bullet proof luxury boxes! The RNC is coming.
- Romney: Non-proliferation is a liberal issue
- Norm Coleman Isn't Funny, But He's Trying to Be
- The Ralph Nader of 2008?
- Is Minnesota Really a Battleground State?
- Two Minnesota contests make list of seats that might flip from Republican to Democrat
- Everybody hates John McCain
Links
« Previous Post | Main | Next Post »
Don't Tase Me or St. Paul, Bro
Filed under: Republican National Convention
It's time to rename Kellogg Boulevard "Electric Avenue." The St. Paul police want to buy an additional 230 Tasers to outfit every member of the 370-strong force with a portable Mr. Zappy.
The St. Paul City Council is likely to approve the $210,000 funding request on Wednesday, but they should not. There are three reasons why.
REASON NO. 1: Tasers are more dangerous than people think, and we're learning more about how dangerous all the time. New health studies cast doubt on the manufacturer's safety claims, and suggest that running 50,000 volts of electricity through a body can cause long-lasting cardiac effects.
What an, ahem, shock.
More than 150 people have died in the U.S. after being shocked by police, and as it turns out, many studies that say Tasers are safe are commissioned by the manufacturer -- hardly an unbiased party. Yeah, you'd rather have someone get tased than shot, but is that really the only choice?
REASON NO. 2: Once police forces have the Tasers, they suffer from "mission creep," and use of the devices snowballs. The 2004 Amnesty International report [PDF] Excessive and Lethal Force? Deaths and Ill-treatment Involving Police Use of TASER found that “…far from being used to avoid lethal force, many US police agencies are deploying Tasers as a routine force option to subdue non-compliant or disturbed individuals who do not pose a serious danger to themselves or others.”
In one Colorado county, a 2004 study found that one-third of the 112 people tased were handcuffed at the time the juice went through 'em. A taser might be a dangerous piece of equipment, but it feels like a toy, and people treat it as such -- when you have one, you want to use it.
First, it's a rioter throwing a rock. Then, it's a skateboarder who is pissing you off.
REASON NO. 3: They say it's not about the Republican National Convention. But we all know it's about the Republican National Convention. I'm not even going to take the obvious tack and point out that it's a risk to civil liberties when you can just tase every annoying street theater performer (tempting as that may seem). It is a risk to civil liberties, but there's another angle I want to talk about.
Speaking as someone who reported on the WTO riots in Seattle, the last time you want police officers to be trying out new equipment is during a massive demonstration -- there's so much potential for miscalculation and escalation. You run the risk of not having officers fully trained, not knowing how to use the devices properly or in what context to use them, and, worst of all, the very real potential for overuse.
Nonlethal weapon use by American police is a complex issue, and one that I see both sides of. Whatever side you come down on, though, now is the worst possible time to implement a policy like this.
Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 17, 2008 5:45 PM
« Charles Barkley: Conservative Christians are terrble! | Main | McCain to Bush: It's Not You, It's Me. »
Comments
TASER SAVES LIVES EVERYDAY
Tasers prevent injuries to Officers and suspects alike, as high as 60% reduction in injuries.
Taser saves taxpayer money with lower insurance premiums and fewer injured suspects needing treatment.
Liberal weenies like this author hate tasers, they take the fight out of criminals, and liberal weenies want cirminals to have a chance at a fair fight with "Da Man". Hogwash, just like the authors opinion
Posted by: Dave at February 17, 2008 9:27 PM
Every time a taser is used an ambulance needs to be dispatched to remove the taser prongs from the person, which costs a lot for everyone. They shouldn't make it such an easy option, because people are dying and getting severely hurt from the use of these tasers. nobody is saying we need to level the playing field, cops are just getting lazy and don't want to get dirty anymore.
Posted by: Steve at February 17, 2008 11:45 PM
A couple of thoughts on the issue:
Taser or Glock, you pick which one you would rather be shot with.
If it is about the RNC, then I suggest you mind you manners and avoid mobs if you don't want to be targeted.
Mission creep can be addressed by training. It is imperative that cops have the best non - lethal tools at their disposal. And even when cuffed, a perp can inflict injury or damage to others or himself. Would you rather go back to beating the guy till he is unconscious?
More often than not, the use of the taser saves the perp from being shot or beaten, and stops violent actions without endangering the officer or standers by.
More tasers or more shootings and beatings... take your pick.
Posted by: Steve at February 18, 2008 8:02 AM
"More tasers or more shootings and beatings... take your pick."
That doesn't synch with the little that's known regarding taser vs gun usage. According to some recent statistics from Canda, taser use is increasing hugely, while gun usage is remaining flat: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2007/12/17/cp-tasers.html
Taser use isn't replacing shooting, it's replacing things like talking.
And Dave, what is up with you? You post nearly the same comment at every taser story that allows comments. A Google search on "Tasers [or taser] save lives everyday" results in lots of hits.
Posted by: nate at February 18, 2008 9:05 AM
Isn't a "liberal weenie" just a euphemistic reference to a large johnson? {johnson is slang for penis, ladies and gentlemen)
Posted by: Helm Matthews at February 18, 2008 10:53 AM
It's not like the RNC is next week, it's still the same scheduled date. You really think the SPD won't have appropriate training for these things? Come on Jeff. They have firearms training and most won't ever fire a gun on the street. The bottom line is this: follow police commands and everything will be fine.
Posted by: Ryan at February 18, 2008 12:37 PM
If the sparks start flying at the RNC it is going to be a serious problem. It will not stop at tazers.
Posted by: Patriot at February 19, 2008 9:14 AM
First off, it's pretty clear that Dave works for Taser.
As for Steve, what you call a "mob" is quite often referred to as a "free assembly" in quaint documents like the Bill of Rights. Around here the cops get freaked out by bicyclists in "mobs." What are they going to do when "mobs" of journalists and protesters show up? The only better chance for irony would be if the RNC was held on Crispus Attucks day or maybe the anniversary of Kent State.
Let's call this for what it is: A chance for the SPD to gear up at DHS's expense using the RNC as an excuse. But instead of arming the cops yet another toy (batons and pepper spray aren't non-lethal enough?) how about we actually get them some training on crowd control to prevent a problem before it happens?
Posted by: Shill Watcher at February 19, 2008 6:42 PM
I hope they tase a lot of hippies.
Posted by: Dude at February 22, 2008 4:17 PM
From all that I have checked, tasers are legal in MN. Meaning that anyone can have them? Why buy a gun when you can legally use a taser. It will bring someone down and maybe even kill them without having to prove you used a gun in self defense. I think everyone should arm themselves with a taser, just for self protection. The Twin Cities is a dangerous place to live these days. They might be a little more leary to just use them if they think everyone has one. Afterall cops have heart conditions too.
Posted by: penny at March 7, 2008 5:23 AM
First, commenter 'Dave' is a semi-professional Taser spokes-puppet. The only explanation for his endless pro-Taser comments all over the web is $$$. Maybe he's paid, maybe he's an investor (LOL).
Second, the arguments surrounding tasers are a bit subtle. The company produces clever propaganda. It's easy to be fooled. But I can spot the lies. I've written extensively on the subject at my blog.
Posted by: Excited-Delirium.com at June 14, 2008 8:54 AM
"The bottom line is this: follow police commands and everything will be fine."
Nice, Ryan...you fit right in with the new world order. I bet you look smart in your brownshirts.
Posted by: tim at June 20, 2008 1:43 PM
Post a comment
City Pages Insiders
- Local food, music and news blasts
- Free Stuff
