Public Safety Council tables Taser decision
Jack Willems
Issue date: 4/10/09 Section: News
The Public Safety Council Thursday decided not to vote on whether to ask the university administration to allow the UA Police Department to carry Tasers. That decision will be made at a future meeting when the new chairman of the council, Jules Beck, is present, a UAPD official said.
Because the meeting occurred during class time, many faculty and student members of the council were unable to attend. The next meeting likely will be in June, UAPD Director Steve Gahagans said, and the council will continue gathering information until then. The department has not ordered any Tasers at this time and has no set timeline, he said.
The student input received by the department was evenly divided, Gahagans said. The department did not receive any e-mails about the proposal, said Gary Crain, UAPD public information officer.
Abel Tomlinson, a UA graduate student, did voice concerns that Tasers could be lethal, citing a case in Michigan when a 15-year-old died after being shocked, Gahagans said.
"We don't have all the information about that case," he said. "There could have been other factors."
Gahagans presented a list of 167 deaths linked to Tasers from across the nation with explanations for each death. Only in 27 cases could medical examiners say that the use of the Taser was a factor, he said.
In most cases, the person died as a result of illicit drugs being in their system, and one psychiatric patient died after being shocked due to mania, Gahagans said.
And, Gahagans pointed out, pepper spray was linked to deaths after it was introduced, but police still use pepper spray, he said.
If Tasers are approved, the training UAPD officers would receive would stress how to react in high-pressure situations, like on-campus parties, Gahagans said. Considering the number of deaths associated with Tasers when intoxicating substances are involved, it might not be appropriate to use Tasers during those times, he said.
The policy on using Tasers would be written by a committee including those in opposition to Taser use, Taser instructors and university representatives, Gahagans said.
Because the meeting occurred during class time, many faculty and student members of the council were unable to attend. The next meeting likely will be in June, UAPD Director Steve Gahagans said, and the council will continue gathering information until then. The department has not ordered any Tasers at this time and has no set timeline, he said.
The student input received by the department was evenly divided, Gahagans said. The department did not receive any e-mails about the proposal, said Gary Crain, UAPD public information officer.
Abel Tomlinson, a UA graduate student, did voice concerns that Tasers could be lethal, citing a case in Michigan when a 15-year-old died after being shocked, Gahagans said.
"We don't have all the information about that case," he said. "There could have been other factors."
Gahagans presented a list of 167 deaths linked to Tasers from across the nation with explanations for each death. Only in 27 cases could medical examiners say that the use of the Taser was a factor, he said.
In most cases, the person died as a result of illicit drugs being in their system, and one psychiatric patient died after being shocked due to mania, Gahagans said.
And, Gahagans pointed out, pepper spray was linked to deaths after it was introduced, but police still use pepper spray, he said.
If Tasers are approved, the training UAPD officers would receive would stress how to react in high-pressure situations, like on-campus parties, Gahagans said. Considering the number of deaths associated with Tasers when intoxicating substances are involved, it might not be appropriate to use Tasers during those times, he said.
The policy on using Tasers would be written by a committee including those in opposition to Taser use, Taser instructors and university representatives, Gahagans said.
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