TASER Use of Force, Risk Management and Legal Strategies Seminar Recap
Posted by Steve Tuttle
This morning I headed to Minnesota to participate in our TASER® Use of Force, Risk Management and Legal Strategies Seminar. Normally, TASER International participates in approximately six of these educational courses around the country annually. The “Chiefs Course,” as they are commonly known, are designed to give law enforcement command staff, municipal risk managers, and Police Information Officers the opportunity to learn about legal issues, risk management challenges, and media relations strategies pertaining to the implementation of a TASER device program.
Generally, each Chiefs Course includes the following components, although the presenters vary depending on region and availability: an update on legal issues pertaining to the use of TASER devices, an update on the latest medical research on TASER technology, a session on media relations and data tracking, a discussion on the potential civil rights issues surrounding the deployment of TASER devices, and an update on suggested training requirement for TASER devices.
As Vice President of Communications at TASER for 15 years, I know a thing or two about TASER and TASER devices, but each time I present at one of these courses, I am humbled by my co-presenters and honored to be speaking from the same podium.
Why are the presenters so impressive? Let’s take, as an example, the person who gave the medical research update today. Dr. Jeffrey Ho, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician, a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. He is a licensed deputy sheriff in the state of Minnesota and currently serves with the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office. He also is an independent, expert medical consultant to TASER, where he leads a cadre of research in studying human physiologic effects of electronic control devices (ECDs).
And he’s a nice guy to boot.
My presentation today covered media relations and data tracking, including a look at media messaging, and more importantly, net field results for TASER device usage in agencies big and small around the United States. The agency field results statistics always generate a lot of interest. They provide the quantitative proof that TASER devices are reducing injuries and saving lives in every community where they are deployed. I believe it’s so powerful to see a graphical representation of the benefits TASER devices provide to agencies — such as a reduction in officer and suspect injuries, a reduction in suspect shootings, and a reduction in lawsuits and worker’s comp claims — and today’s audience seemed to agree.
It’s been a busy day, getting up early, flying in and out of Minneapolis, but it’s completely worth it. I make every effort to be present at these meetings because I believe that they are the lifeblood of sustaining good TASER programs in law enforcement agencies around the country.