According to an associated Press report, the NYPD is expanding their use of the “Taser” stun gun, an old tool in the law enforcement arsenal, but one that has seen limited use in the nation’s largest police force.
Starting Wednesday, thousands of police sergeants will begin carrying electronic stun guns on their belts as part of an effort to give officers more alternatives to deadly force.
The main reason for the change is that newer Tasers are smaller, lighter and easier to carry in a holster than earlier models were, an NYPD spokesman told the AP.
The NYPD has used Tasers since 1984, but policy called for sergeants to store the stun guns in their trunks while patrolling, rather than strapping the weapons to their hips.
Going forward, 3,500 uniformed sergeants and other supervisors on patrol duty will be issued Tasers to carry, along with their regular pistols, when they go out on patrol.
The Tasers used by the NYPD cost about $500 apiece. Officers will carry them on the opposite side of their belts as their service weapons, in part to eliminate the possibility of confusion when they need to draw fast.
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