TASER® Blog

Few would argue against the notion that people have a fundamental right to be safe. Personal safety is one of life’s age old concerns. Individuals, however, have varying ideas as to what they can do to be safe. Some people simply keep a vigilant eye on their surroundings; others may take a self-defense course; and still others may decide a deterrent or weapon is best for them.  

The right to select one’s own means of self-protection is something we affirm at TASER International. We believe it is important that people have choices when it comes to selecting a method with which to feel comfortable and safe —  regardless of whether or not an individual chooses to protect themselves with a TASER® C2™. For instance, I do not feel comfortable carrying a gun (although I would like to be trained in how to use one), but I do feel comfortable carrying my TASER C2. By the way, it’s pink.  

Since I work for TASER, I have had a lot of exposure to the device — I have deployed it, taken a full voluntary exposure including the probes (download the video of my TASER hit here), and even shocked myself once accidentally! I know exactly how it works, should I ever need to use it to protect myself. Since I know it’s effective, I feel comfortable choosing it as my means of self-protection. Sure, I have a big fiancé, but he’s not always with me and, even if he is, what would we do if someone assaults us? I don’t carry my TASER C2 around like a citizen-vigilante, hunting creepsters on street corners, but I do feel much safer walking to my car in the parking garage, or around the city at night. I grew up in a small town, I went to college in a small town, and now I live 3,000 miles away from my family. Having a TASER device makes me feel much safer since adjusting to post-college urban living.  

The right to select a means of self-protection is an issue that was hotly debated over the last two years in the Maryland State Legislature. Maryland legislators — rightfully concerned with the potential misuse of stun devices — began last year with legislation to prohibit an individual the right to own a TASER device or stun gun in the state. This year, following many months of persistent engagement and education on the subject, the Maryland Legislature passed what we believe is an effective regulatory bill addressing and affirming the citizen’s use of electronic control device technology.   

Elected officials have an obligation to promote public safety and regulate products that could potentially be dangerous. But as the Maryland Legislature rightfully concluded, the answer to effective electronic control device regulation is NOT to ban them. Rather, the Legislature chose to keep stun devices out of the hands of minors and those who have been convicted of a crime of violence. They also chose to promote some industry best practices.  

TASER International has refused to sell to persons under the age of eighteen and anyone who has been convicted of a felony. Since its inception, the company has also installed accountability systems in all its devices, such as owner registrations and the Anti-Felon Identification (AFID) tracking systems. Today, the TASER C2 even requires the owner to pass an identification verification check and a felony background check to activate the TASER C2. Thus, the device has built-in systems that deter those who would misuse the technology and protect those, like me, who wish to utilize it for personal safety.   

Working with industry experts, safety advocates and law enforcement, the Maryland Legislature passed responsible legislation — legislation which deters the misuse of the stun device, but allows for law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and their loved ones, as they choose, in a safe and effective manner.