By Liz Zemba
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
An Arizona company’s rollout of a cheap, fashionable stun gun is receiving mixed reviews from law enforcement.
Taser International Inc. will begin selling the C2 Personal Protector stun gun in April. Unlike its larger, handgun-shaped predecessors, the new Taser is small enough to fit in a pocket or purse and comes in four stylish colors: metallic pink, electric blue, titanium silver and black pearl.
Priced at $300 for the black version — pink, blue and silver models sell for $350 — it’s also cheaper than other civilian-model Tasers, which range from $400 to $1,000.
A police advocacy group is concerned the consumer-friendly Tasers will appeal to criminals.
“Our concerns are, who’s buying them, how are they going to be used, and what will they be used for,” said Albert Arena, of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Taser offers its buyers a free one-hour course on proper use and handling of its products, but civilians who skip such a course risk unintentionally hurting themselves, or others, Arena said.
“It’s not like a firearm,” Arena said. “It is different, and there are things you have to be careful with. Just because it’s in your purse doesn’t mean it won’t go off.”
Probes fired by Taser guns emit electric signals that incapacitate a person by interfering with the neuromuscular system, according to the company’s Web site.
The C2 is effective up to a maximum 15 feet. According to Taser, once it is fired, it cycles for 30 seconds so users have time to flee a dangerous situation. Tasers sold to police have ranges of 21, 25 and 35 feet and cycle for five seconds.
No background check
Pennsylvania does not require background checks for stun guns, but Taser won’t activate a device until a customer passes its own background check. Customers must provide Taser with their Social Security numbers, which are checked for felonies, terrorist-watch lists and proof of age.
Still, the police association fears an increase in Taser sales will make them more available to criminals, who may end up facing lethal consequences, Arena said.
“If you’re buying this to rob a 7-11, if I, as a police officer, encounter you, I’m not going to try to talk you out of it or respond with Mace. I’m probably going to respond with my firearm,” Arena said. “You can’t use a club against a Taser, because the idea is to put distance between you and another person.”
One policeman sees the new Taser guns as posing no different a threat from other weapons available to civilians.
“My personal opinion is that, just like any other piece of safety equipment, if it’s used properly and for legal purposes, it has the potential to be beneficial,” said Sgt. David Pallone, of the Pennsylvania State Police.
“If you have a criminal intent, or bad intentions, anything can have dire consequences, and the fashionable Taser is no exception,” said Pallone, who works in research and development in Harrisburg.
“I’d like to believe Taser International will try to maintain some kind of control over who ultimately gets these devices, but then again, even criminals get guns, and they are not supposed to have them,” Pallone said.
Two Westmoreland County police chiefs said they would rather the weapons were off-limits to civilians.
“I’m not happy about it,” said Michael Mastroianni, Penn Township police chief. “It’s just one more thing that our officers have to concern themselves with. But it’s nothing new. The public has had access to every weapon police have had for years.”
Greensburg Police Chief Walter “Wally” Lyons also would rather the public did not carry Tasers in their handbags or pockets.
“The purpose is self-defense for law-abiding citizens, but it will be used for purse snatchings or strong-arm robberies, and may even be used against police officers,” Lyons said.
“And people who buy them don’t train with them. They put it in their purse or pocket, and when it comes time to use them, they can’t use them effectively, and most times, they get it taken off of them and used against them.”
Police guidelines
In addition to learning how to use a Taser effectively, police must follow guidelines that outline when use of the devices is inappropriate. For example, police in Blairsville, Indiana County, are banned from using the devices on children, said Chief Donald Hess.
“We have a very lengthy written policy,” Hess said. “It’s considered a use of force.”
Although civilians aren’t bound by the same guidelines, a police chief in Allegheny County pointed out the same is true for handgun ownership.
“Ironically, civilians can buy guns and carry guns without any training at all,” said Howard Burton, Penn Hills police chief. “The point is, it’s for self-defense for citizens.”
Neither Hess nor Burton is opposed to civilians having access to Tasers, including the trendy C2.
Hess, whose department has just begun using Tasers, said it is unlikely more of the devices will turn up on the streets because that did not occur when stun guns first became available to the public.
Burton, whose department will begin carrying recently purchased Tasers as soon as officers are trained in their use, said although Tasers can be used to commit crimes, the same is true of all weapons.
“The purpose is for self-defense for law-abiding citizens, but any weapon can be used illegally,” Burton said. “I have no problem with citizens using self-defense weapons, because they are effective.”
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