I am trying to convince our command to equip at least the sgts. with TASERS. We are an 1100 bed facility. Budget crises have reduced our numbers. Does anyone have info on the CDPM’s that are out there/using them? Would like to know what you think?

Our Sergeants and Gun Qualified Officers carry the TASERs. We just got the TASERs into the system last month. The first one deployed was this past Sunday. I don’t carry a TASER as I’m a Deck Officer. OC and a radio is all I have. It seems to work pretty good as I haven’t had to use the OC in 3 years. But then again I’m on the same wing 5 nights a week, so I know about 90% of the ones that I deal with. Seems that when I’m off it’s when they have the most problems on that wing. Go figure. I even have inmates say.. “Glad you’re back.” and over heard one tell another… " That CO knows his shit, he’s firm, fair, consistent, and don’t F*&^ with him, he’ll skull drag your butt to lockdown."

I work in a city jail with 80 beds. It’s likely nowhere near as dangerous or unpredictable as what most of you out there work in. But ALL CO’s are armed with TASERS and Freeze +P. I simply wouldn’t work without them. We are constantly outnumbered by -at BEST, people who exercise bad judgment and at WORST, people who are just plain dangerous thugs. I have actually never had to use my TASER because every inmate I have put the red dot on has immediately backed down and complied. They have either been TASED before or have heard plenty about the experience and want NO part of it. There have been several times that, without my X-26, I would have had a good knock-down, drag-out fight where SOMEONE was going to get hurt. I’m a certified fight instructor so that someone isn’t going to be me if I can help it. It’s outright foolishness to not give officers such a great non-lethal tool. Not having them is a much GREATER liability. If your agency doesn’t equip CO’s with them, I suggest you begin fighting to change that.

In summer of 2008, two RCMP officers killed a Polish tourist in the Vancouver airport. They were placed under paid leave and investigated. Sure Taser will defend their product but, will they fight for your job?? Help you in court?? Pay for your Lawyer?? How far will they go for the Officer in control of the taser??

Our agency placed the TASER devices into service about 3 years ago. Since placing the devices into service, our inmate discipline problems have dropped eight percent. For those people that state that TASER has to many liablilty issues, those people/agencies need to be educated about the TASER. TASER International will defend any incident and nintety-nine percent the death of an individual that the TASER has been used has many more issues then the media lets us know

We seem to stick more with Pepper Spray. There have been a few incidents with our Police forces using to much force and killing people in the last few years.

We implemented Tasers in our facility in 2008. Up until that point, we relied on interpersonal communication skills and inmate control techniques. Since the implementation of the Taser, injuries among staff and inmates alike have declined.

We began using tasers in the jail for our CERT team in 2005 and since that time our incidence have dropped to a rediculously low number. Our agency has been extremely supportive of their use and we have not had any major injuries or pending litigation due to their use. In fact, statisitcs show that the injuries among staff and inmates alike have dropped dramatically.

Only specially trained CO’s get tasers or pepper spray.
Tasers have too much liability attached.

i’ve heard the state of ohio will not get tasers due to the liability issue. i believe taser international has lawyers that handle court cases involving tasers, and they do not lose. so i can’t understand what the issue is

Yes, our policy warns of this. With our Response to Resistance matrix, there is a (small) separation between the levels of resistance that each can be used. OC can be used at a lower level of resistance.

Thanks for the Heads Up.

Be Safe.

if you are carrying OC and a taser at the same time, make sure that the taser will not ignite the OC. At our facility, we use OC the is labeled “NON-FLAMMABLE”. We tested ours and found out that the OC was not flammable, but the propellant is. If one officer is using the OC and a second officer uses the taser, the test dummy went up in flames. PLEASE TEST THIS

Here in Jacksonville, we carry Tasers and OC…All Officers and Sergeants. No “pre-authorization”. Inmate does not follow your orders, spray him. Now, we are not talking about “pick up that piece of paper!” but, I have my Officers order the inmate to turn around to be cuffed up. Inmate refuses, it is now an Officer safety issue. If the inmate is “Active Aggressive” i.e., hands balled into fists, 1000 yard stare, fighting stance, etc…“Taser, Taser, Taser”.

As someone who has been sprayed twice and taken the 5 second ride once, while the electric ride REALLY SUCKS ($^#&#$@!!!) the after affects of the spray make it the most used in our facility.

The problem with haveing a pre-authorized policy or haveing Corporal/Sgt.s carry is that the it cuts the legs out from under the line officers. Inmates know that they ain’t gotta do nothing till the Sarge gets there, then they put their skirt on.

It would be a mixed blessing to have tasers. Great for compliance but bad if an inmate got hold of one. It would have a dramatic effect on compliance from an out-of-control inmate though.

We don’t even carry OC. When I worked a different camp we weren’t allowed inside the fence unless we were carrying OC, and that included ALL staff…. teachers, secretaries, maintenance, librarians, recreation staff, nurses, doctors… everyone. But after everyone started toting that stuff around the incidents of inmate on staff and inmate on inmate assaults took a real nosedive.

Wish we had them!

We utilize both hand-held taser pistols, and taser shields. Use depends upon the situation… Many times, just a “demonstration” of the shield will result in an aggressive inmate complying to orders.
Of course, in order to operate a taser you have to be trained, and part of this training includes getting zapped. Same with OC in Washington. To become certified for use, you have to get sprayed. Helps with any ensuing lawsuits, as well as with inmate communication. The officers know what will happen, and what to expect. Except for emergent use, both OC and Taser use must be pre-authorized.

We have a taser in the armory and only a Corporal or above can use it. They work excellent for cell extractions. We had one guy in AdSeg that got zapped and screamed like a girl. The other inmates asked him how it was; he said, “it fucking sucks!”.

Tasers are a very useful tool to add to our resources. I would personally like to carry one on me, but I’d probably get fired for excessive tasing 

We in Ohio do not use tasers in the state facilities. I’m not sure why. You could all but eliminate cell extraction related injuries, and other physical use of force issues if we could use this method before hands-on force was used. Just the sight of it would be enough for the majority of inmates to comply.

Does anyone use tasers in their facilities?

What are your feelings of a jail/prison introducing Tasers? If your jail/prison already has tasers, how did your institution introduce them within your facility and how what was the inmates’ initial response?