SAN FRANCISCO POLICE COMMISSION WON'T ALLOW TASERS

March 4, 2010
KCBS

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- The San Francisco Police Commission has voted not to allow police officers in the city to have Tasers. In a hearing late Wednesday night, the commission struck down the proposal by a 4-3 vote.

The proposal was backed by San Francisco Police Chief George Gascon and several officer groups, including the Police Officers Association.

Gascon had called for the commission to allow for the use of Tasers, saying it could help save lives.

Gascon called for a study of officer-involved shootings in the city and it found that a third of the 15 incidents over a five-year period might have been avoided had officers been equipped with tasers.

The commission heard from both sides during Wednesday’s hearing, including from members of the American Civil Liberties Union and UCSF researcher Zian Tseng, who cited a major increase in deaths during the first year use of Tasers in California.

Tseng could not say if Tasers played a role in those deaths.

San Francisco, Detroit and Memphis are the only big U.S. police departments who do not use Tasers.