Question of the day
Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The setup…
Spurred by a Tribune report documenting an explosion in Taser use by police, a state legislator from Chicago is pushing a bill that would force local police departments to inform the state of every shock an officer delivers to a civilian.
The proposed law would compel officers to report details of any use of a Taser or other electroshock weapon, including information about the incident that led to the weapon’s deployment and whether the subject was armed, aggressive or intoxicated. Officers would also be asked to report the race of each person shocked by one of the devices. […]
In Chicago, where Taser use mushroomed after hundreds more officers were armed with the weapons, police logged 853 uses in 2011, a fivefold increase over 2008, according to figures compiled by the Independent Police Review Authority.
Davis’ bill faces opposition from the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. The measure would force an “unfunded mandate” on local police departments, many of which don’t have the money for software or computer systems that might be necessary for the tracking effort, said Laimutis Nargelenas, a lobbyist for the organization.
* The bill is here.
* The Question: Do you support this concept of compelling the police to report Taser usage? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please. Thanks.
- Anon - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 11:40 am:
Yes. May be tough to fund but they need to figure out a way.
Violence on behalf of the government against suspected criminals is often necessary, but needs to face heavy scrutiny in every case. Government sanctioned violence against someone who did not deserve it, or was attacked for some nefarious purpose is an absolutely unacceptable outcome.
- Downstater - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 11:40 am:
Whats next are we going to report everytime they use a baton? 853 times in a city of millions? Ask the City how much it saved in workman’s comp after adopting the use of tasers.
- Ahoy - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 11:41 am:
Yes, they have to report using their gun, same concept. This is pretty obvious.
- Fed up - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 11:46 am:
Hmm seems like we already track them if we know the figures for 2008 & 2011. Sounds like some politician is looking for something to put on his campaign mailings. Hey look what I did when it is obviously already being done.
- Retired Non-Union Guy - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 11:46 am:
Although rare, Taser use can inflict serious injury. I would think the police departments would want to be on record to try to protect themselves from lawsuits on unnecessary / inappropriate usage. It may open them up to more scrutiny, but that is not a back thing.
- mokenavince - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 11:47 am:
Who’s going to read the reports,and what benifet
would it have?
- Anony - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 11:52 am:
Absolutely.
How do we know minorities aren’t being targeted disproportionately?
- MrJM - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 11:54 am:
Yes.
Taser use is an not insignificant use of violence.
– MrJM
- TCB - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 11:57 am:
=Officers would also be asked to report the race of each person shocked by one of the devices.=
What about gender? religion? age? height? weight?
Why is race the only piece of demographic data worth collecting?
- Pot calling kettle - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 11:57 am:
A Taser is a much more serious weapon than a baton. I think the usage should be reported with details. It not only helps keep track of how and why the weapon is being used; it also sends a message to the officers that a Taser is not an electric version of a baton.
- In absentia - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 11:59 am:
No, this is unneeded. You don’t want cops doing any more paperwork than they already have to do. Next we’ll track every step they take. Dumb.
- Vindicator - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 11:59 am:
Tasers are deadly weapons. Their usage should be documented the same as discharge of a firearm by a police officer.
- palatine - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 11:59 am:
Yes, it’s a serious use of a weapon
- Plutocrat03 - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:00 pm:
Data should be tracked.
Tasers are being sold as another form of non-lethal source. How can it be determined whether their use effective, or safe if there is no standard for reporting the use/abuse?
- whisperquiet - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:01 pm:
I think the person who was Tazed should be reported and it would be interesting how many repeat Tazees there are. I am sure it would be more than a few repeats.
- Aldyth - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:10 pm:
Yes, because a taser is a double-edged sword. It may save injuries to police officers trying to take down an alleged perpetrator, but it can seriously injure the recipient.
- Cook County Commoner - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:17 pm:
No. Taser use should be reported, but it should stay at the local and county level. State governemt has not manifested any compelling need to impose an unfunded reporting requirement to it or any expertise that it would use the data professionally. And before 853 Taser uses in Chicago are considered noteworthy, each and every instance should be reviewed in its totality. All the increase in useage may suggest is increased availability or increase in violent confrontations warranting use. Sounds like race politics to me. Or the ACLU looking to drum up increased donations. Or the civil rights lawyers looking to use scarce taxpayer resources to generate a statewide potential client list. Maybe the politicians who support this should ride along with Chicago police for several months, especially in the summer, during late Friday and Saturday, to get a first hand idea of the facts behind the numbers.
- OldSmoky2 - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:18 pm:
Yes - it shouldn’t be that big a deal cost- and time-wise. Just a bit more data to file with the case reports, when applicable. These days, that should only take a simple, one-time modification to existing software.
- Mom - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:25 pm:
I think reporting taser use is absolutely necessary.
Police forces in general, and the Chicago Police Department specifically, continue to ignore malfeasance by their members. They refuse to police their own ranks, choosing instead to hide behind the Blue Code of Silence. This leaves us with two groups of police officers; bad cops and cops who protect bad cops.
The opposition to laws allowing citizens to record police actions or recording the use of tasers permits police forces to adapt a paramilitary persona which gives them the Fog of War cover they need to continue abusing their power.
- Just a Citizen - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:25 pm:
ABSOLUTELY, Taser use should be reported and available to the public. They are weapons that can be deadly.
- SO IL M - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:36 pm:
No. The use of less-lethal weapons such as tasers give the Officers an option to use to control someone without resorting to deadly force. The only ones that are against this use are the people who wish to break laws, assault Officers or other people, and have no consequences to their actions. Or, the people who pander to them for votes. And to compile stats on how often they were used on differnet races only leads to more of the argument “Yeah I tryed to hurt somebody but its not my fault”
- reformer - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:45 pm:
A reporting requirement will discourage taser abuse. Those who expect any government power to be abused should support checks and balances.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 12:57 pm:
Seems to me this would be good data to have. If for no other reasons for departments to be able to learn from each other.
- Burning Down da House - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 1:25 pm:
Good grief! What would this accomplish? Absolutely nothing, besides wasting time and money. State government doesn’t need to stick its nose everywhere…
- 3rd Generation Chicago Native - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 1:27 pm:
No this gives way to all types of costly lawsuits.
- William - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 1:34 pm:
No. The increase in use cane directly tied to the increase in the number of tasers being issued to police. What point would there be to tracking who got tased? Are you going to tell officers they can’t tase certain people because there is a trend that certain groups get zapped more than others?
- Colossus - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 1:51 pm:
While I sympathize with the view that this would lead to more paperwork for overworked officers, I voted yes.
When an officer uses a weapon on a citizen, whether that weapon is lethal in nature or intended to be non-lethal, I believe it should be reported and overseen by someone other than the police department. Just as every bullet issued to an officer must be accounted for, every Taser cartridge should be accounted for as well.
The police are the institution by which The Government (ooh, scary) restricts the rights of individuals. When you get pulled over by an officer, just think about how many Amendments come into play during the ensuing conversation. 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, just off the top of my head. With so much at stake, I do not believe we should just trust that the officer will not abuse his position of authority.
Then again, if I were allowed to create and keep my own record of my interaction with the police, I would feel much better about giving them a bit more leeway. But with the terms of engagement (so to speak) tilted so heavily in favor of the police already, I can’t see why we shouldn’t try to get on the side of the citizen here.
Remember: It’s not just those scary scary criminals that get Tased and who have to interact with the police. It’s all of us, every single one. And if I’m gonna get Tased, I want to know that officer has to justify it to someone, not just do it and move on with his day.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 3:20 pm:
3rd Generation…
I would suspect that departments gather this information anyway (if nothing else I think a taser needs to re-loaded) after each firing or three at the most. The purchase/firing information for a specific department would likely be discoverable in a suit anyway.
- 3rd Generation Chicago Native - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 3:40 pm:
One man
Thanks for the info, I just thought you plugged them in and charged them up.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 3:54 pm:
I voted no. And that vote was partially due to the sponsor.
- Robert - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 4:38 pm:
No thanks to more govt. time - state workers and police - on reporting. Taser use can best be evaluated at the local level.
- Shemp - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 4:43 pm:
Seems like a good reason to hire a few dozen more employees for oversight. Truth is most departments already keep a record to cya in court as recommended by the vendors. All this does is force departments to compile the data into a state required format to be given to new-hire employees or keep the State from reducing personnel.
- QBRNST - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 5:10 pm:
The use of force by police should always be reported and tracked. Such for should receive even more scrutiny when such force is potentially lethal (and yes, use of a Taser is potentially lethal). And while we’re at it, the use of police batons should also be reported and scrutinized.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 5:39 pm:
What’s the problem? You file a report, don’t you, in general? On computers? What’s the problem in collecting the data on tasings? Or shootings? Or use of batons (old school)?
Tasing is a serious use of force. Of course it should be reported. Why wouldn’t you want to know?
- JustaJoe - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 5:49 pm:
Too many laws!
It should be up to individual departments how they address this.
- Sunshine - Tuesday, Feb 7, 12 @ 10:36 pm:
When an officer discharges a firearm they must file a report. A weapon with this much physical impact should be monitored as well.
It is in the interest of all citizens that this weapon not be used on a whim or excessively. If one must complete a report, one will likely use more caution before discharging it.