• U.S.

More Tasers for New York Cops Might ‘Do More Harm Than Good’

3 minute read

New York City cops may soon be armed with more Tasers. But experts are skeptical that will make the city safer.

Police Commissioner William Bratton announced plans Wednesday to purchase an additional 450 Tasers to give to training officers who work with rookies, the New York Daily News reports. “We are very interested in expanding [the use of Tasers] very significantly,” Bratton said, describing them as “a nonlethal method officers could use.”

The NYPD already has roughly 600 Taser guns.

“The concern with any tool is that once someone has it they may opt to use it rather than non violent strategies,” said Eugene O’Donnell, a former NYPD officer and member of de Blasio’s Public Safety transition committee. “We also need to reduce the police footprint, and this simply takes us in the direction of continuing the over-policing of America.”

The talk of Tasers comes amid incidents that have put city cops under scrutiny for their use of force. This past summer, Eric Garner was killed after an officer held him in what appeared to be a chokehold banned by the NYPD, and a recent grand jury decision not indict him ignited protests across the city. Then on Tuesday, a police officer shot and killed a mentally ill suspect wielding a knife after he stabbed a student and charged toward the police knife in hand.

“This is something we think could be a tool we use additionally that could bring us some ability to help resolve situations better,” Mayor de Blasio said in an unrelated press conference Thursday, according to a report from the Staten Island news site silive.com.

But law enforcement experts say Tasers are a mixed bag when it comes to improving safety for officers and suspects, and they may even lead to more unnecessary violence. The logic behind increasing the use of Tasers is that they give officers a non-lethal alternative to guns when they are threatened, but they may not always work that way in the field, experts say. And while it’s somewhat rare, Tasers can cause death, particularly for those suffering from heart disease.

MORE: Police body cameras poised to become standard after Ferguson

Professor Peter Moskos, an associate professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and a former Baltimore City police officer, agreed. “Generally I’m sort of anti-taser,” he said. “They do serve a purpose. They can be used in situations in which you wouldn’t shoot someone, but there are very few cases when they are used instead of gun. The sad reality is there’s always going to be some messy situations, and the taser doesn’t fix that. By and large, in NYC, it would do more harm than good.”

Maki Haberfeld, a professor of political science at John Jay echoed the others concerns, but she took a slightly more optimistic view. “I wouldn’t like to see people Tased on a more frequent basis,” she said, adding: “I think it’s a good idea to try this. I’m always a proponent of alternatives, but it has to come with proper instruction.”

Witness Protesters Taking Over the Streets After the Eric Garner Grand Jury Decision

Police Chokehold Death
A group of protesters rally against a grand jury's decision not to indict the police officer involved in the death of Eric Garner occupy the eastbound traffic lanes of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City in the early morning hours of Dec. 4, 2014.Jason DeCrow—AP
People Protest No Indictment in Eric Garner Chokehold Case
Protestors block 15th Street near Pennsylvania Avenue to protest the Staten Island grand jury's decision not to indict officer Daniel Pantaleo in the Eric Garner chokehold case in Washington on Dec. 3, 2014.Jim Lo Scalzo—EPA
Grand Jury Declines To Indict NYPD Officer In Eric Garner Death
Demonstrators march through the streets of New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Andrew Burton—Getty Images
Protests Erupt Across Country After Grand Jury Does Not Indict NYPD Officer Over Chokehold Death
Regina Bates speaks during a demonstration in Oakland, Calif. on Dec. 3, 2014. Elijah Nouvelage—Getty Images
Police stand guard on the West Side highway as protesters block traffic after the jury verdict in the death of Eric Garner in New York
Police stand guard on the West Side highway as protesters block traffic in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Shannon Stapleton—Reuters
Demonstrators Gather In Philadelphia To Protest Eric Garner Grand Jury Decision
Anwar Thurston, 36, joined demonstrators who gathered to protest the Eric Garner grand jury decision during a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at City Hall in Philadelphia on Dec. 3, 2014.Mark Makela—Getty Images
BESTPIX - Demonstrators Gather In Philadelphia To Protest Eric Garner Grand Jury Decision
A demonstrator cries while gathering to protest the Eric Garner grand jury decision during a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at City Hall in Philadelphia on Dec. 3, 2014.Mark Makela—Getty Images
Protests Erupt Across Country After Grand Jury Does Not Indict NYPD Officer Over Chokehold Death
Demonstrators block traffic on Highway I-395 in Washington on Dec. 3, 2014. T.J. Kirkpatrick—Getty Images
US-ERIC-GARNER-PROTEST
Protestors lay down in Grand Central Station during a protest in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014.Timothy A. Clary—AFP/Getty Images
People take part in a protest against the grand jury decision on the death of Eric Garner in midtown Manhattan in New York
People take part in a protest against the grand jury decision on the death of Eric Garner in midtown Manhattan in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Eric Thayer—Reuters
NYC reacts to Eric Garner Grand Jury decision
Protesters raise their arms and chant at police officers in Times Square in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Caitlin Ochs—Polaris
US-CRIME-POLICE-RACE-UNREST
Demonstrators march in protest on the streets of St. Louis on Dec. 3, 2014. Michael B. Thomas—AFP/Getty Images
Police Chokehold Death
Police officers block protesters from marching up a highway entrance ramp near Times Square in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Seth Wenig—AP
A man holding a child walks past protesters demanding justice for the death of Eric Garner in Manhattan
A man holding a child walks with protesters as they march past Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Adrees Latif—Reuters
People Protest over no indictment in Eric Garner's chokehold case in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta Police face off with protesters blocking Spring Street in Atlanta on Dec. 3, 2014. Erik S. Lesser—EPA
A demonstrator stands next to makeshift memorial where Eric Garner died during arrest in July in Staten Island borough of New York
A demonstrator stands next to a makeshift memorial where Eric Garner died during an arrest in July in the Staten Island borough of New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Shannon Stapleton—Reuters

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