Pittsburgh City Council too eager to give police TASERs

You can expect a new smell on the streets of Pittsburgh.

On Tuesday, Pittsburgh City Council… You can expect a new smell on the streets of Pittsburgh.

On Tuesday, Pittsburgh City Council approved an allocation of $30,000 to buy TASERs for police officers. These hair-raising law enforcement tools have been introduced in several departments as an alternative to firearms, if force is needed.

The technology is new, and many insist it is still untested. Amnesty International, which denies it is against TASERs completely, sent a letter to City Council asking the purchase be delayed until an independent study on their medical effects can be completed.

As for those health concerns, they are considerable. Associated Press and CBS news reports link TASER use to heart damage. Let’s face it: No one wants 50,000 volts shot through them. Even Ziggy Stardust stuck with a Van de Graff generator to make his hair stand on end.

TASER International, the leading manufacturer of the devices, cite animal studies from Johns Hopkins University and Florida Gulf Coast University, saying no serious damage occured from TASER use. In short, TASER makers think the independent study already occurred.

But those involved in the studies admit they did not have total access to study data at times, ruining the credibility of the experiment.

It is too late, though. The city’s money is earmarked, and the purchase will go through. This begs the question, what is the city doing buying TASERs and making new construction plans with a $30 million transit deficit and financial problems that make Enron look well-managed?

The problem with TASERs is that a cop knows he should only use a gun when there is absolutely no other choice. A non-lethal device is more tempting.

TASERs are dangerous. And those things hurt! No one wants the smell of electrocuted flesh swirling around Oakland, which already fills the nose with odors of beer and urine.

TASERs could turn the most boring drunk-and-disorderly-conduct incident into a medical drama when the perpetrator hits the deck with a heart attack. And what happens when you zap someone with a pacemaker?

Just last week, a 14-year-old boy suffered cardiac arrest after being jolted by a Chicago Police TASER. A 54-year-old man also died after Chicago officers zapped him.

Repeated shocks from the device could also causes acidosis, when the blood becomes more acidic.

Although TASER International claims the deaths are drug-related, nearly 100 people have died after being shocked by TASERs since 2000. William Schulz, executive director of Amnesty International, believes “there’s no question that TASERs are being overused at this point.

TASER International claims that use of TASERs cuts down on litigation, but I foresee a future of police brutality suits after the scene finally started to quiet down following the rash of accusations in the early 1990s. We don’t want a city that hates the police.

Cops already have pepper spray, batons and other non-lethal devices at the ready. How many more do they need before their belts fall off?

Chief Tim Delaney of the Pitt Police has been considering TASERs, but says he is not buying any until he sees what happens with the ones now on the streets. Basically, he is doing what the city should be doing: waiting for more evidence to decide.

With something proven so dangerous and no clear guidance for officers on their use, we should not have TASERs paid for by Pittsburgh taxpayers and on Pittsburgh streets.

Do the Pitt Police really need TASERs on campus? E-mail Michael Mastroianni at realityfactory@yahoo.com with your opinion.