TASER® Blog

What a great way to end the week — today I am able to share an account of an incident where one woman’s savvy self-defense skills saved her from what could have been a very dangerous situation. In this woman’s story, her awareness of personal safety and willingness to act resulted in a positive outcome and not another tragedy being reported on the evening news. 

The following story was sent to us this week by a Sergeant at a California law enforcement agency. The wife of one of his colleagues used her TASER® C2™ to ward off a potential attacker. The woman had obviously thought about her own personal safety beforehand, which is why she was carrying a C2 and was prepared to act in her own defense.  

We often find, as in this case, that just taking out your C2 is enough to scare off an attacker. However, if you do choose to carry some form of weapon to defend yourself, you also need to be prepared to use it. Check out the story after the jump, as it reinforces the fact that we constantly need to maintain an awareness of our surroundings: Read more…

New Jersey is the ONLY state in the nation where it is illegal for law enforcement to use TASER devices or other electronic control devices (ECDs) in protecting their communities. Prohibiting those who have sworn to protect and to serve from utilizing this life-saving technology is not only outdated thinking, but it puts both the officers and the communities at risk.  

Electronic weapons and stun guns have been prohibited for use by law enforcement and the general public in New Jersey since 1985 — nine years before TASER International was founded. The only other three states to totally prohibit law enforcement from using stun devices have already changed their laws to allow officers to carry electronic control devices — Massachusetts (2004), Michigan (2002), and Hawaii (2001).  

For more than three years, the Attorney General of New Jersey has considered allowing New Jersey law enforcement officers to use ECDs. Under New Jersey law, the Attorney General can grant permission for law enforcement to use these life-saving devices — yet she refuses.   

Two years ago, Attorney General Ann Milgram formed a committee to review and evaluate alternative law enforcement use of force options, including ECDs and stun guns. While the committee has made recommendations regarding certain “less-lethal” ammunition — such as rubber bullets and bean bag rounds — they have yet to make any recommendations on TASER brand devices or any other ECDs, leaving law enforcement agencies across New Jersey, who know the value of ECDs, wanting and waiting to deploy. Read more…

For most people, Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, even though June 21 is the first summer day on the calendar. I always find myself planning more activities in the summer than in the winter because we have more daylight hours with better weather and I love to enjoy the fresh air. I often get caught up in the increased number of events that I schedule for myself, but one thing I never forget about is my personal safety.    

The TASER C2 in all five color options

As an active person, I jump at the chance to be outdoors, whether it’s taking a walk around the neighborhood after a long day at work, or going biking or hiking on the weekends. No matter what the activity, I always make sure that I have my TASER® C2™ with me in case someone or some animal tries to interfere with my stress-relieving activity. Because I have a carrying case, I find it hard to come up with an excuse not to bring my C2 with me. I’m the type of person that thinks the one time I don’t have my C2 on my side is probably the one time that an unleashed dog or even a coyote (yes, I live in the desert) will try to get too close for comfort.  

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In March of this year I had the pleasure of being present when Dutch National Police announced a one-year pilot program that would place TASER® devices with eight special tactical law enforcement and arrest teams throughout the Netherlands. After thorough training from 34 newly anointed Dutch TASER® Instructors, the program commenced last month. Naturally, with this being the first deployment of TASER devices in the Netherlands, there was a lot of curiosity surrounding TASER® technology.   

Yesterday, that curiosity was satisfied as the pilot program’s first field use provided an example of how TASER devices can help save lives. A man in the town of Woerden had his life saved when the use of a TASER prevented him from inflicting serious injury upon himself. Officers were able to temporarily incapacitate the man’s muscles using a TASER® X26™ — thereby disarming him and diffusing the dangerous situation. 

We’re pleased that the Dutch National Police have adopted the life-saving technology of TASER and we congratulate them on a job well done in helping advance the mission of TASER International — to protect life.

Friday, May 15, 2009– today is the 28th Annual National Peace Officers Memorial Day.

As I lowered my flag to half mast this morning, I reflected on all the sights, people, inspirational speakers and courageous survivors I experienced in Washington, DC during the past week– National Police Week 2009.

This year, I had the opportunity…no, the privilege to attend events during the entire National Police Week thanks to TASER International  and the TASER Foundation for Fallen Officers .  The whole experience was overwhelming.  I have lots of great memories of what I saw and experienced.  A few of my most vivid memories include:

• Police everywhere; from everywhere– tens of thousands of law enforcement officers descended on Washington, DC this week.  They appeared to have come from every corner of the nation; from big cities and small towns; many of the countries and towns I read on shoulder patches were unknown to me. 
• 1200 bike riders took part in the Police Unity Tour arriving at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC on Tuesday, having ridden hundreds of miles to raise awareness of fallen officers.  They raised much more than awareness; they also raised $1.3 million for the National Law Enforcement Museum.
• Joseph Perischini, Assistant Director in Charge of the Washington Field Office, FBI addressing the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF)  Chairman’s Dinner Tuesday night.  His message was direct- we need to do better in the inner cities.  He then introduced a 17-year old student from one of the tougher neighborhoods in Washington, DC. She will be interning this summer at the FBI as part of its mentoring program; oh, and she applied for and has been granted top secret clearance for use during the internship.
• Sharing time with country music star Mark Wills, former Dallas Cowboy Steve Coles, American Gladiators Don” Wolf” Yates, and Valerie “Siren” Waugamanand watching each genuinely care about the officers with whom they spoke and treating the officers as the celebrities. 
• Seeing the reaction of officers and survivors to the TASER Foundation Drive to Remember Guardian One…and then thanking Sgt. Steve Gibson and Craig Prystay, the drivers, for all they have done. 
• The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Candelelight Vigil- 10,000 candles illuminating the evening sky.
• Feeling a sense of global unity as two British police officers at the Candlelight Vigil saluted during our national anthem.
• Quietly watching a good friend and colleague stoically, yet obviously painfully, remembering and honoring a college friend, FBI Agent Sam Hicks who was killed in the line of duty November 2008.
• Listening to 22-year old Florida police officer Eric Strzalkowski, who swore his oath just three months ago, proudly address the Concerns of Police Survivors  (C.O.P.S.) Gala Thursday night on what C.O.P.S. has meant to him as a surviving son.  His father was a police officer; killed when Eric was two. 
• Realizing that C.O.P.S. Gala lasted more than five hours and ended after 11:00 p.m. but no one seemed to mind; most all of the 1000 attendees were still there at the end.

While all these memories will remain with me for a long time, there is one memory and feeling that I may never forget….

I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend with the TASER Foundation, the NLEOMF reception prior to the Candlelight Vigil.  Much to my amazement, as we walked the two blocks from the reception to the National Law Enforcement Memorial, law enforcement officers from hundreds of agencies, in uniforms of every color imaginable, stood shoulder to shoulder, at attention, on both sides of the street.  As we approached the Memorial, the officers saluted.  They did not know who we were or why we were there, yet they saluted.  I was there to honor and pay tribute to them and their fallen comrades, yet they saluted.  I was humbled as my eyes welled with tears.

Those salutes are what I will always remember most about National Police Week 2009.  Heartfelt gestures, ones that I do not feel I deserved, which clearly exemplifies that law enforcement truly is a fraternity of men and women who, no matter what, will always think of others before themselves.

It is also why today is the 28th Annual National Police Officers Memorial Day.  This is the one day that we ask the men and women of law enforcement to allow us to think of them first….and to say THANK YOU!

As you know from my earlier post, this week is National Police Week in Washington, DC and a time to remember the brave men and women of law enforcement who have given their lives in the line of duty.  Law enforcement officers by the thousands, their families, and their friends have descended on our nation’s capital coming together to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. 

National Police Week is a special and necessary opportunity for officers and surviving family members to mourn their partners, colleaugues, husbands, wives, mothers and fathers.  It is also a time to heal. 

The mental stress and toll on law enforcement is also very apparent this week.  During this time we should also remember and recognize the officers who struggle with thoughts of suicide.  Law enforcement can be a difficult and lonely profession and unfortunately, officers committing suicide is a sad, but real issue confronting many agencies today.

Lt. Kristen Ziman of the Aurora (Illinois) Police Department wrote a poignant and insightful piece (“Cops trained to help, but struggle to help selves “) discussing this very issue.  The column appeared over the weekend in The Beacon News.  I believe it is worth reading.

May 10-16 is National Police Week 2009. The 28th Annual National Peace Officer Memorial Day is this Friday, May 15. Thousands of law enforcement officers along with their families, friends and supporters will descend on Washington, DC, this week to pay tribute to the men and women of law enforcement and to honor and remember those who gave their lives in the service of others. I will be joined by several people from TASER International and the TASER Foundation in our Nation’s capital this week. 

Every day more than 850,000 law enforcement officers in the United States and Canada work to fulfill a sworn oath — to protect and serve. Sometimes these officers make the ultimate sacrifice and are tragically killed in the line of duty.

In 2008, 141 officers in the United States and Canada were killed while on duty. Since records have been kept, more than 6,000 law enforcement agencies have lost officers in the line of duty. The average age of an officer lost in the line of duty is only 38-years-old. Read more…

Wow, what an exciting four days Morgantown, WV! …and it is not often that one can say that!

Hundreds of corrections and law enforcement officers took part in the 2009 Mock Prison Riots, honing skills, learning new techniques and demonstrating and evaluating new equipment. For example, twenty officers were certified by the TASER training team on the new TASER® Shockwave™ area denial system and 61 officers were certified on the new TASER® XREP™ wireless shotgun projectiles.  

A K-9 unit stands ready to break up a hostage situation

Over the course of the four-day event, I observed five training scenarios. Two of the training scenarios were staged in the cell blocks, with one scenario simulating 15 inmates refusing lockdown and the other simulating a situation where a guard was taken hostage by a group of inmates. During the hostage scenario, the rescue team brought in a K-9 unit, and it was so compelling to see how the dog scared the inmates into submission. I have a much better understanding and greater respect for the effectiveness and power of a well-trained K-9.

I also watched a scenario where a bus with inmates onboard broke down. The CERT (Corrections Emergency Response Team) threw smoke screens and flash bangs to distract the inmates so they could get on the bus and regain control. Yet another scenario was in the dining hall, where inmates started fighting and barricaded the doors to the hall. There were three teams of CERT officers who entered the dining hall and used both chemical and non-lethal devices to contain the situation.   Read more…

Today I am in Moundsville, West Virginia, at the Mock Prison Riots, an event that allows emergency response teams to test new technologies available to them before they incorporate them into their response plans. By being able to test these new technologies, such as the ones offered by TASER International, emergency response team members get the opportunity to not only evaluate the products, but also to give valuable feedback to the companies who design the tools they need to safely and effectively do their jobs every day.  

Arriving at the West Virginia Penitentiary, site of the Mock Prison Riots

Throughout the four day event, men and women who keep our nation safe are able to deploy emerging technologies during best practice tactical training scenarios. Some of these scenarios include: cell extractions, riot control, hostage rescue, conflict resolution, and both lethal and non-lethal situations.  

On Sunday, I joined more than a half dozen other TASER representatives for a day filled with setting up our trade show booth, painting targets and preparing for the upcoming scenarios. I was even able to attend a portion of the skills competition.   Read more…