Law Enforcement Advisory Board (LEAB) Proposed Statewide Policy on Use of Conducted Electrical Weapons (CEWs: aka Stun Guns aka Tasers; documents available online via Google Drive; no sign in required; 15 pages, including background information page), here.
Public Comment Deadline: Wednesday, December 4, 2013
comparison to gun policy?
Upon reading this proposed policy, I am now wondering what the policies are for use of a gun, and would love to compare and contrast the two before I made official comments. Anyone know where I can find the comparable gun policy? When tasers first came out, they were heralded as a device to be used only in place of a gun, to be used as a non-lethal response only in very probable potentially lethal situations. Period. I thought, “Great!” I can and do support that. I never dreamed their use would expand so quickly, so broadly. I can’t, and DON’T support the many uses they have been used for, nor even all the ones proposed in this policy.
Not isolated policy as these public hearings suggest
This is a good ethical question considering the ubiquitous nature that guns permeate throughout our culture, not just the “official” deadly use of force allowed to those who have the law behind their back….even though electronic use of force would seem to be a single issue, unrelated to the bigger picture.
Or is it? Perhaps this proposed “contrast” by Andie is equal to the sum of the whole, not isolated policy, as these public hearings might suggest?
News article
News article about proposed policy:
Board offers statewide Taser policy (via Times Argus; 11/28/2013), here.
Deadly Force
In case you have not already come across it yet (with apologies if you have), fyi:
Fourth Circuit upholds multi-million dollar award in Taser death:
http://www.beaufortobserver.net/Articles-NEWS-and-COMMENTARY-c-2013-11-24-270015.112112-Fourth-Circuit-uphold-multimillion-dollar-award-in-Taser-death.html
vtdigger article
Proposed Taser policy lacks teeth, ACLU says (via vtdigger; 12/2/2013):
http://vtdigger.org/2013/12/02/proposed-taser-policy-lacks-teeth-aclu-says/
WCAX News report
Advisory board developing Taser recommendations (via WCAX News; includes archived video, which is recommended viewing):
http://www.wcax.com/story/24157812/advisory-board-developing-taser-reccomendation