basquebromance
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Pros, cons of stun gun use by Detroit cops debated
Residents packed a meeting of the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners on Thursday to hear a panel discussion about the use of stun guns by police.
Detroit police are considering equipping officers with the electronic guns, although their use would have to be approved by the 11-member civilian police oversight board.
The pros and cons of police use of stun guns were discussed during a standing-room-only meeting at the Boy Scouts of America headquarters on Detroit’s west side.
“These are difficult and troubling times,” said Mark Young, president of the Lieutenants and Sergeants Association union. “Tasers are not the total solution; they’re a good start,” he said.
Assistant Chief James White said the department has already drafted a preliminary policy regarding use of stun guns, “if we decide to go down that road.”
White said if the department gets stun guns, he wants to have them equipped with cameras so their use can be monitored.
Christopher White of the Detroit Coalition against Police Brutality said his group has long opposed police having stun guns.
“There are several other tactics that can be used to de-escalate situations,” he said. “When we’re talking about community relations with police, to talk about using this type of weapons moves us away from having that discussion.
“We have not had for a long time the things we’ve seen in Ferguson and Baltimore,” he said. “We don’t need to start going backwards.”
Mark Fancher, staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, said the organization “has had a longstanding concern about the use of Tasers.”
Fancher said the ACLU studied the use of stun guns by police departments across Michigan, and found “concerns” that cops didn’t follow guidelines governing use of the weapons.
“The Taser manufacturer itself has come forward with warnings about the use of these devices, which should give pause to any police department thinking of using them,” Fancher said.
Dr. Robert Dunne, vice chief of emergency medicine at St. John Hospital, said there is no comprehensive data about the effects of stun guns.
“I know there are some fatalities with Tasers; I’m not going to sit here and blow smoke,” Young told the crowd. “But how many non-fatalities (have there been) because of the use of Tasers? There’s no perfect solution.”
Pros, cons of stun gun use by Detroit cops debated
Residents packed a meeting of the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners on Thursday to hear a panel discussion about the use of stun guns by police.
Detroit police are considering equipping officers with the electronic guns, although their use would have to be approved by the 11-member civilian police oversight board.
The pros and cons of police use of stun guns were discussed during a standing-room-only meeting at the Boy Scouts of America headquarters on Detroit’s west side.
“These are difficult and troubling times,” said Mark Young, president of the Lieutenants and Sergeants Association union. “Tasers are not the total solution; they’re a good start,” he said.
Assistant Chief James White said the department has already drafted a preliminary policy regarding use of stun guns, “if we decide to go down that road.”
White said if the department gets stun guns, he wants to have them equipped with cameras so their use can be monitored.
Christopher White of the Detroit Coalition against Police Brutality said his group has long opposed police having stun guns.
“There are several other tactics that can be used to de-escalate situations,” he said. “When we’re talking about community relations with police, to talk about using this type of weapons moves us away from having that discussion.
“We have not had for a long time the things we’ve seen in Ferguson and Baltimore,” he said. “We don’t need to start going backwards.”
Mark Fancher, staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, said the organization “has had a longstanding concern about the use of Tasers.”
Fancher said the ACLU studied the use of stun guns by police departments across Michigan, and found “concerns” that cops didn’t follow guidelines governing use of the weapons.
“The Taser manufacturer itself has come forward with warnings about the use of these devices, which should give pause to any police department thinking of using them,” Fancher said.
Dr. Robert Dunne, vice chief of emergency medicine at St. John Hospital, said there is no comprehensive data about the effects of stun guns.
“I know there are some fatalities with Tasers; I’m not going to sit here and blow smoke,” Young told the crowd. “But how many non-fatalities (have there been) because of the use of Tasers? There’s no perfect solution.”
