Police did homework with Tasers

It’s official: Later this month, all Los Altos police officers are due to receive Taser guns. Some may fear indiscriminate use, an issue raised in other departments. But Los Altos appears to have done its homework. Under Chief Bob Lacey, police have stricter guidelines in place and more officer training required than in other cities. Because of this, along with the potential for greater safety for officers, we think the Tasers will be a worthy investment.

A Taser X-26 shoots 20-to-25 feet of wire and attaches to the target with small fish hooks, delivering 50,000 volts of electricity to the central nervous system. This eliminates the difficulty of making direct physical contact with a combative suspect, an added protection for both the officer and the citizen.

They’re another tool, supplementing, not replacing, firearms. Tasers are designed to disable, not kill. Would police use such weapons more often with the knowledge they are reputedly less dangerous than traditional firearms?

Addressing the concern that Taser use could be more indiscriminate, Los Altos opted to equip each Taser with a mini-camera that automatically records audio and visual data. This feature will help police assess their use. Such documentation will also provide a source of evidence.

Although Tasers appear a better option over firearms or even stun guns, when an officer must press the weapon against the suspect, another big question remains: Are such weapons purchases necessary in sleepy Los Altos with its relatively low crime rate?

Los Altos, with its small department, usually has officers handling calls alone. Chances are greater that an officer must face a violent suspect - however rare the occasion - by himself or herself, with backup minutes away. A Taser gives the officer a better chance of handling such a suspect.

Los Altos police also have to handle calls in neighboring communities with higher crime rates. The department has a mutual aid agreement with other local law enforcement agencies. Officers do not solely operate within city limits all the time.

Lacey notes two examples of how Tasers could have clearly helped, even prevented, tragedies. Last year, a suspect in the Los Altos unincorporated area holding a machete could have been disabled with a Taser, if officers had one available. Instead, the suspect was shot. San Jose police went to Tasers after the 2003 case of an officer who shot and killed a woman he thought was attacking him with a knife.

Tasers give local police another tool for making their job - and our community - safer. The fact that the department has been cautious about their use - even contacting the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for feedback - makes us more confident that our officers are doing the right thing.