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ThTrD
eployment Standards
Katlyn Leight and Brent Pencak, University o Michigan
Preventing unnecessary death and injuries related to Taser use andstrengthening community perception of law enforcement personnel byuniversally limiting deployment to the “Harmful” level on the FLETCUse-of-Force Continuum.
The Taser is an eective police weapon, which, when used appropriately,has the potential to minimize injuryand death to law enorcementpersonnel, suspects, and innocentbystanders. However, health issuesand questionable deployment haveraised concerns about use. AmnestyInternational reports more than290 deaths in the USA and Canadaollowing police Taser use. Numeroushealth organizations and policedepartments have questioned Tasersaety. We recommend standardizeddeployment practices across alllaw enorcement agencies at a highlevel on the FLETC Use-o-ForceContinuum.Questionable Taser usage on suspects, such as non-violent or previouslyrestrained suspects, damages community perception o law enorcementpersonnel. Shocking and provocative videos circulate at rapid speed onYoutube depicting questionable Taser usage and are seen not just bymembers o a single community, but are viewed by millions around the worldCommunity response to Taser incidents echoes outrage expressed ollowingpolice shootings and brutality. In 2007 a San Jose, Caliornia coalitionmarched on City Hall in protest, releasing 291 black balloons: One or everydeath stemming rom a Taser incident. Concerns among minorities are mostsevere, as they eel Taser use on minorities is disproportionately high. Astudy o 1,000 Taser deployments inHouston reveals 63 percent o suspectswere black, but only 25 percent oresidents are black.
History
There is growing consensus that Taseruse should be limited to dangeroussituations, not against passivelyresistant suspects. A 2005 report romthe American Civil Liberties Union
Key Facts
Over 7,000 law enorcement agencies
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employ more than 140,000 Tasers inthe United StatesIn a 6-year period, Amnesty Internation-
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al reports over 290 deaths rom policeTaser usage in the USA and CanadaUse-o-orce policies provide guidance
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or police ofcers to ollow during spe-cic scenariosTwo Department o Homeland Security
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divisions rejected its use altogether.
Talking Points
This is low cost solution that takes
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advantage o existing ramework toaddress concerns over Taser use.This policy ensures that Tasers re-
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main an eective and less-lethal op-tion or law enorcement and pro-motes strong relations between lawenorcement and communities.
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