New Taser X2
The major reason to upgrade to the new Taser X2 is that the device automatically limits the shock to no more than 5 seconds. The department has known for sometime that a frequent cause of death via the Taser X26 was "over shocking", something that the new X2 prevents.
Taser Training is pretty simple, if you repeatedly zap a suspect holding down the trigger there is a real chance you will kill them which will cost the city about 10 million dollars.
Taser International will give CMPD a $700,000.00 credit for current X26 equipment, $400,000.00 will come from the asset forfeiture account and $1,429,350.06 from the City's General Fund.
CMPD fully deployed the Taser X26 in 2003 on a shared use basis. In 2006 the city purchased enough additional Tasers at a cost of $799.00 each, so that each officer had his own Taser. The new Tasers will cost the department $1,580.00 each.
On July 20th Chief Monroe recalled all CMPD Tasers after the death of La'Reko Williams. On August 30th Chief Monroe issued a statement saying that he was not returning the current Tasers to CMPD officers because he was ordering an additional study to be conducted by the Washington DC based Police Executive Research Forum (PERF).
See Don't Tase Me Bro! How Chief Monroe is Shocking Taxpayers
The independent PERF review is still ongoing, but now, before the review is complete Monroe wants to purchase the new Tasers. Which is what CMPD staff suggested last month.
Cedar's Take: Its time for Charlotte City Council to ask some questions and not just "bend over" for Chief Monroe. You'll notice on the agenda for Monday's meeting Chief Monroe will give his presentation during the dinner meeting and not as part of the public meeting.
CMPD has known for more than a year that they should upgrade to the new Taser X2 which became available earlier this year. In fact Taser International has been meeting with CMPD since 2010 regarding the upgrade.
Easy questions that Council should ask: Why haven't the old Tasers been returned to CMPD Officers? Why the additional cost of the PERF study when the team of CMPD officers already recommended upgrading the equipment? Since the X2 is a new product, shouldn't CMPD wait for some feedback from the field? Why not wait for completion of the PREF Study? Why wasn't this upgrade included in the CMPD 2012 budget? Why have CMPD officers been without Tasers for more than two months? Finally what do CMPD officers want? Did the boots on the street have any say?
There is no excuse for CMPD Officers not having Tasers, and there is no excuse for CMPD Officers not having the best equipment available. So why all the mismanagement?
Cedar Post's Update: Looks like Rodney Monroe has already signed the deal with Taser International prior to the Charlotte City Council vote Monday night. Emails to Cedar Posts note that CMPD's old Tasers where shipped out last month. Further that the delay late last month in returning the Tasers to CMPD Officers was just a stall tactic since there where no Tasers to return to the Officers.
Then there's Taser International's Dog and Pony show Monday morning. Which is spelled out in
CMPD and Taser International's Monday Roll Out Meeting Memo.
