The money would come from an existing fund balance in the department's 2024 budget, rather than a new allocation. The proposal is on the agenda for Wednesday morning's county board meeting.
"Tasers give our officers a less than lethal way to respond to a dangerous situation," said Capt. Brandon Brinks of the sheriff's office. "In many cases, simply telling a person that we may use a Taser is enough to get them to comply. It's a powerful deterrence."
Their current X26 Tasers are no longer supported by the manufacturer, Axon Enterprise Inc., and the remaining X26P units will soon be discontinued, according to company reports.
Furthermore, the existing Tasers are old, failing and unreliable, Brinks said.
Saving money also is a factor. By purchasing all 62 Taser 10 units before the end of 2024, instead of buying them piecemeal over time, the county will save about $20,000 vs. the higher 2025 price, he added.
Furthermore, Axon will pay the county $14,991 to buy back the department's current Tasers.
The proposed purchase comes with a five-year service and warranty contract that includes training, maintenance, technical support, duty use and evidence collection. The contract also includes a "train the trainer" module so that the sheriff's office can train and re-certify officers each year, as required by department policy.
Training is typically conducted in the basement of the law enforcement center at 851 Woodmere Avenue. That space features open areas, hallways, doorways and stairwells that can be used to simulate an interaction with a "non-compliant" suspect.
"All of our officers also get training in de-escalation tactics that can reduce the chances of a violent encounter," Brinks said.
Taser Technology
A Taser is a hand-held "electronic control device" or "energy weapon" that fires small barbed darts into a person, penetrating the skin. It then shoots up to 50,000 volts of modulated electricity through thin insulated copper wires that run from the device to the darts, incapacitating most subjects immediately, according to manufacturer reports.
When both darts hit, if the electrical circuit is completed and maintained, it can cause the attacker's muscles to contract and they may lose voluntary muscle control.
Being "tased" can be painful, but is usually not lethal. In most cases, the effects are temporary.
Certified Tase users are usually trained to monitor the subject for 20 minutes to make sure they recover normally, according to Axon. Small burns from the dart entry areas may also occur.
Overall, Tasers are much less lethal than guns and less injurious than methods like batons, pepper spray and manual (physical) control, according to a study by the Accident Network Law Group.
Another study of 1,000 Taser subjects led by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center concluded that 99.7 percent of the subjects had suffered no injuries, or minor ones such as scrapes and bruises, while three persons suffered injuries severe enough to need hospital admission, and two died.
In cases where Taser-related deaths have occurred, nationwide, law enforcement agencies reported about 500 fatalities between 2010 and 2021, according to PBS News report.
In many of those cases, death was related to pre-existing medical conditions, drug use or incorrect use of the Taser device, according to an ABC News investigation.
Some studies have found that Tasers can affect cardiac (heart) and brain function. Using Tasers on subjects with significant mental illnesses also can be hazardous.
Thanks to better training and technology, 72 percent fewer fatal incidents were reported in 2021 vs. 2018, ABC reported. That possibility of fatalities is why Axon markets the devices as "less lethal" than regular firearms.
Closer to home, the Grand Traverse Sheriff's Office said its officers used Tasers 40 times between 2016 and 2024 out of a total of 173 "use-of-force" incidents.
"There were no use-of-force complaints or policy violations in any of those cases, and no significant injuries," the report stated, reiterating that even a threat of Taser use is enough to quiet many offenders.
History & Development
A NASA researcher named Jack Cover began developing the first Taser in 1969 and completed a working prototype in 1974. Using a loose acronym, he named it after the title of a book called "Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle."
The first Taser sold in 1976 used gunpowder as a propellant and was classified as a firearm by the U.S. Bureau of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. A later "Air Taser" model was not classified that way.
In 1993, two brothers in Arizona founded the original TASER company, which was rebranded Axon in 2017 as it branched out into body cameras and software.
Typically, Tasers can shoot their darts up to 35 feet. Those available to civilians are usually limited to about 15 feet, according to industry officials. Factors such as wind, angle and subject's clothing (thickness and/or material) can affect the actual effective range.
The Taser 10 model sought by the Grand Traverse Sheriff's Office has several advantages over earlier models. It can shoot darts up to 45 feet, providing more space and time to de-escalate conflicts, according to Axon.
Equipped with a laser-sighting device, it can shoot up to 10 individually targeted probes without the need to reload a new cartridge. Because of its increased velocity, it can better penetrate thick clothing and tough materials, according to the company.
Owning certain Taser models is legal for Michigan civilians 18 years or older, if they have a concealed pistol license and complete related training. Each device must have an active identification and tracking system.
Also, Michigan residents can only use a Taser for protection or self-defense, according to legal experts. Civilians cannot carry a Taser within state and local government buildings, including schools.
© 2024 The Record-Eagle (Traverse City, Mich.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
