Police Commission to vote on officers’ use of Tasers
For: Giving them the option would reduce injuries for all
In policing, there are inevitably potentially violent confrontations that require officers to use force to stabilize the situation. As chief of the San Francisco Police Department, I strongly believe our officers need conductive energy devices — commonly known as Tasers — as an option to reduce injuries and prevent further escalation of subject resistance in situations where force is appropriate.
Tasers are less- lethal tools that have the ability to bring these types of situations to a relatively safe conclusion while minimizing the use of additional force or a higher level of force.
The San Francisco Police Commission will discuss and possibly vote Friday on whether the commission should adopt Tasers as a potential use- of- force option for San Francisco officers.
Last year, the U. S. Department of Justice Collaborative Reform Initiative assessment included an analysis of the San Francisco Police Department’s uses of force. In its report, the department recommended that the City and County of San Francisco “strongly consider deploying” Tasers. Independent research found that across the country, the implementation of Tasers correlated to approximately 60 percent odds of decreased injuries to the person upon whom force was used. The research shows similarly significant odds of reduction of injuries to officers. That alone benefits our city, because it equates to more full- duty officers on our streets, rather than sidelined due to use- of- force related injuries.
Critics of Tasers have said that they are incompatible with de- escalation principles and techniques that SFPD officers practice every day. This is simply not the case.
De- escalation is and will always be our objective when officers are confronted with potentially volatile and violent situations. The stark reality is that there are times when de- escalation does not work and officers have to use force — as safely as possible — to resolve a situation. Tasers will provide our officers with an effective, less- lethal option in the event that de- escalation fails and the use of force is appropriate. In fact, research has shown that simply unholstering a Taser has sometimes encouraged individuals to cooperate with an officer to successfully conclude a situation.
The San Francisco Police Department always has acknowledged and thoughtfully evaluated the risks associated with Tasers. But it is critically important those risks be viewed in context with other force option alternatives. Not having the option of using a Taser creates a higher likelihood of prolonged hands- on physical force by police officers and a higher probability of increased resistance by a suspect. Independent research has shown hands- on force, in turn, significantly raises the odds of injury to the suspect and the officer.
We believe that the odds of risks occurring with Tasers are reduced with comprehensive and strictly enforced policies, robust training, strong supervision and oversight, and accountability. The San Francisco Police Commission’s vote Friday night on whether or not to deploy Tasers follows voluminous input on this subject from community members and key stakeholders, and months of hard work to craft a solid Taser policy that I believe will be among the best in the nation.
The federal Bureau of Justice Statistics found the percentage of local police departments that adopted Tasers rose from 60 percent in 2007 to 81 percent in 2013. San Francisco and Boston are the last two major cities that have not authorized Tasers.
Our San Francisco police officers work hard each day to provide and maintain public safety with professionalism, care and empathy. No officer comes to work with a goal of using force during their tour of duty. However, every officer must be prepared to do so to protect the public or themselves from bodily harm, or when it is appropriate and necessary to overcome aggressive resistance to legal detentions or arrests.
It is critical that our officers be provided with every available force option in accordance with national best practices so they can do their jobs as safely and effectively as possible.