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Tasers May Soon Be Used By Less Experienced NYPD Cops.….….

Use of Tasers by the NYPD has generally been limited to sergeants and members of the elite Emergency Service Unit, but less experienced officers could soon be using them, police sources say.
Use of Tasers by the NYPD has gen­er­al­ly been lim­it­ed to sergeants and mem­bers of the élite Emergency Service Unit, but less expe­ri­enced offi­cers could soon be using them, police sources say.

Use of Tasers by the NYPD has gen­er­al­ly been lim­it­ed to sergeants and mem­bers of the élite Emergency Service Unit, but less expe­ri­enced offi­cers could soon be using them, police sources say. The department’s planned pur­chase of 450 new Tasers, announced by Commissioner Bill Bratton last week, will bring the NYPD’s sup­ply to at least 1,121. In 2006, the NYPD’s Taser arse­nal stood at 160. Police sources said that more offi­cers are being trained to use Tasers as a non­lethal alter­na­tive to gun­fire, and that a recent pat­tern of increased Taser use by NYPD cops will like­ly con­tin­ue. This year, there have been slight­ly more than 300 inci­dents of cops using Tasers. In 2013 and 2012, there were about 200 inci­dents per year, accord­ing to the department.

“Tasers are used as part of our force con­tin­uüm,” said Deputy Chief Kim Royster, an NYPD spokes­woman. Complaints to the Civilian Complaint Review Board regard­ing Taser use and alle­ga­tions of exces­sive force increased in 2014 com­pared to the year before, a pat­tern that also held for

Eugene O’Donnell, a John Jay College professor who served on the mayor’s public safety transition committee, said the NYPD has to guard against police relying too much on the Taser.
Eugene O’Donnell, a John Jay College pro­fes­sor who served on the mayor’s pub­lic safe­ty tran­si­tion com­mit­tee, said the NYPD has to guard against police rely­ing too much on the Taser.

the 2013 total com­pared to that of 2012, accord­ing to the agency. But only 2 of 75 such inves­ti­ga­tions com­plet­ed since 2009 have been sub­stan­ti­at­ed by the CCRB. This year, there have been slight­ly more than 300 inci­dents of cops using Tasers. In 2013 and 2012, there were about 200 inci­dents per year, accord­ing to the depart­ment. In the first one, a Bronx man bust­ed on a parole war­rant said he was jolt­ed by a Taser while hand­cuffed, then fell to the ground and broke bones in his face. The accused sergeant plead­ed guilty to admin­is­tra­tive charges and lost five vaca­tion days. In the sec­ond case, sub­stan­ti­at­ed this year, a woman said a cop used a Taser on her inside a Brooklyn precinct sta­tion­house in 2013. Disciplinary action is pend­ing against the accused cop. In 52 oth­er com­plet­ed inves­ti­ga­tions, the accused offi­cer was exon­er­at­ed, the CCRB said. Another 16 alle­ga­tions were deemed unfounded.

Eugene O’Donnell, a John Jay College pro­fes­sor who served on the mayor’s pub­lic safe­ty tran­si­tion com­mit­tee, said the NYPD has to guard against police rely­ing too much on the Taser. “If you hand a tool to some­body I think human nature and some research shows you may rely on that more than using a non-vio­lent approach,” he said. rparascandola@​nydailynews.​com