Use of Tasers and other conducted energy devices can help reduce injuries both to police officers and suspects, says a federally funded study by the Police Executive Research Forum. PERF continues to urge police agencies to adopt clear policies to prevent the unnecessary use of the devices. PERF compared the experiences over four years of seven law enforcement agencies that use the devices with six that do not.
The study, funded by the National Institute of Justice, found that the use of the devices is associated with a 70 percent reduction in the chances of an officer’s being injured, compared with agencies that do not use them. The odds of a suspect’s being injured are reduced by more than 40 percent in agencies using the devices. “While no use of force technique or device is foolproof, our research supports the proposition that (conducted energy devices), when used properly, can serve as a useful addition to the use-of-force continuum in police departments,” said PERF director Chuck Wexler.