Portland Police Issue Draft Of Stun Gun Policy
A new draft of the Portland Police Department’s Taser policy, which was released by the Portland Police Bureau, implements restrictions concerning use of the non-lethal weapon that includes: Not firing the Taser at a suspect’s head or face or near flammable objects; obtaining commander approval before firing Tasers at demonstrators; avoiding use of the weapon on suspects who are cooperating or for practical jokes; and seeking alternative control methods for dealing with pregnant women, the elderly, children, or suspects in danger of falling from a significant height.
After a Taser is fired, sergeants must appear at the scene to determine if the firing was in line with the department’s policy. The Portland Police Bureau found that restricting officers from firing Tasers at a suspect’s groin or at handcuffed suspects as some other departments do is not warranted.
Portland Police Chief Derrick Foxworth is taking community opinions on the new Taser policy and will implement the official policy by July 1, which is just prior to the department’s release of 150 new Tasers.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Oregonian (05/18/04) P. B2; Bernstein, Maxine.