Will County law enforcement upgrades Taser guns to reduce injuries in difficult arrests
The Joliet Police Department is upgrading their Taser guns, a move they claim will lead to fewer injuries against both police officers and the people the arrest.
Since 2010, Joliet police officers in patrol, traffic, and tactical units have been making use of the Taser gun while on duty, a mostly plastic device that uses electroshocks to cause temporarily paralysis. These Taser guns have a short shelf life of 5 years and city officials have approved the purchase of 25 more units, which will cost more than $50,000.
Joliet Deputy Police Chief Tab Jensen said a “national selling point” for Taser guns was how they could be used to reduce injuries to both officers and the people being arrested, unlike pepper spray or batons.
“Basically, it helps with the protection of injuries not only to the arrestee but also the officers. Because when you get into a physical altercation, there’s the chance of both of you getting injured, whereas with the Taser, it’s a less lethal device,” Jensen said.
Axon, previously known as Taser International, is the company that provides the Taser guns to the Joliet Police Department. The company states that their Taser guns are safe based on a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center study that showed that 99 percent of cased resulted in either no or mild injuries.
Opponents of Taser guns raised concerns based on an Amnesty International article that claimed that 500 deaths have been associated with Taser guns since 2001.
Jensen stated that there should be no concerns with the Joliet Police Department in regards to the Taser guns, as fatalities related to Taser guns usually have another factor involved, such as t
he arrestee being intoxicated.
“So, if it’s just a normal person getting Tased and fighting with you, there’s supposed to be no effect,” Jensen said.
Joliet police Sgt. John Perona works with weapons while training new officers and says he has experienced the shock of a Taser gun first hand, comparing it to the effect of an electric fence.
“I would prefer being Tased as opposed to pepper spray,” Perona said.
However, the Joliet Police Department doesn’t want civilians to be worried about being Tased for no reason.
“We don’t utilize the Tasers without a camera. …We like to have video evidence of what happened,” said Sgt. Steve Formenti
Jensen said that Tasers are far preferable to handguns because they’re less lethal. He stated that he’s sure Tasers have saved lives where deadly force may have been necessary or appropriate.
“Having the tools we can use to reduce the risk of injury to another person is great,” Jensen said.
