Berkeley Police Officers Cite Public Support for Tasers

Berkeley police officers appealed publicly on Wednesday for Tasers, the electric stun guns used by most other Bay Area law enforcement agencies.

The request came when the Berkeley Police Association – the bargaining unit representing all Berkeley police officers except the chief – held a press conference to release results of a survey of Berkeley residents showing four out of five respondents favoring police use of Tasers over firearms or physical force.

The survey, based on responses by email from 598 residents, found also that 83 percent support further investigation of use of Tasers by the Berkeley police department.

The police group obtained responses by sending emails to all Berkeley residents who listed an email address on their voter registrations, Stines said. They were asked to respond on SurveyMonkey. 

In the Bay Area, said Sgt. Chris Stines, president of the association, "105 of 113 law enforcement agencies use Tasers. Of the eight remaining agencies that have not yet authorized Taser use, Berkeley is one of only three departments in the Bay Area that is not currently investigating using Tasers in the future."

"The Berkeley Police Association supports the use of Tasers because they provide an alternative tool to firearm use in violent situations with suspects," he said.

The association's vice present, Sgt. Emily Murphy, said the reason that nearly all Bay Area law enforcement agencies use Tasers is "because it is well documented locally and throughout the United States that Tasers save lives and reduce injuries caused by physical force and firearm use."

Stines said there is a "huge log" of cases in Berkeley where Tasers could have prevented injuries and "significant" costs to the city in workers compensation.

"What I want." Murphy said, "is a viable option, a less lethal option, when I'm facing a dangerous, combative subject who is armed. I want an option where three to five officers don't have to go hands on and possibly get injured, or that the subject possibly gets injured. And the Taser would provide that." 

Stines and Murphy said the association has been in discussions with the mayor, members of the City Council and the police chief about Tasers. Asked what their next step will be, he said, "The next step is to continue discussions."

"This is just in the beginning stages," Murphy said.

Pamela Embry, a spokeswoman for the city manager's office, said in an email response to Patch: "The City has no comments on this item. Please contact the Berkeley Police Association if you have any questions."

Patch has asked for a response also from Mayor Tom Bates.

Here is a press release issued by the Berkeley Police Association at the news conference:

Berkeley One of Few Departments in Greater Bay Area without Tasers
Taser Study Results are in:  83% Berkeley Residents Support
Investigating Tasers to Control Violent Criminals and Save Lives 

Berkeley – The Berkeley Police Association (BPA), representing 168 police officers, publicly released today the results of its survey to residents on the possible future use of tasers by the Berkeley Police Department.

At the BPA office in Berkeley, Sergeant Chris Stines, President of BPA, and Board Member Sergeant Emily Murphy, said that police officers were interested in the community’s views on tasers.  The Berkeley Police Association surveyed residents in March, included seven questions asking their opinions on tasers.   The survey was completed by 598 Berkeley residents and submitted via email.

“Berkeley residents get that tasers save lives and reduce injuries as 83% of the residents who completed the survey said they support the City of Berkeley further investigating the use of tasers,” Stines said.

Studies conducted nationally and in the Bay Area indicate that tasers save lives, reduce suspect and police officer injuries, and save limited tax dollars by reducing Workers’ Compensation claims for injuries.

“Police officers’ jobs are becoming more dangerous, with violent criminals carrying firearms and other dangerous weapons,” Stines said.  “The catastrophic events at the Aurora, Colorado movie theater, Sandy Hook Elementary, and recently at the Boston Marathon and here at Oikos University in Oakland show us how dangerous the job can be.

”In summary, here is what Berkeley citizens said about tasers:

– 80% of the residents surveyed said they prefer taser use over physical force and gun use. 
 
– Over 74% of those surveyed are concerned about injuries sustained when police use batons or physical    force and the cost of these injuries to Berkeley taxpayers.

– 85% are “greatly concerned” by the probability that firearm/gun use could cause death. 

– Berkeley residents surveyed favor the idea that taser use could save lives by incapacitating a violent   criminal and they like the fact that historically taser use decreases the number of officer-related shootings.

– 83% of Berkeley citizens surveyed indicated that they support the police department investigating the use of tasers in Berkeley to deter and control violent individuals.

The police officers of the Berkeley Police Association support the use of tasers because they provide an alternate tool to firearm use in violent situations with suspects.  Berkeley is one of only three law enforcement agencies out of 113 in the Bay Area that does not use tasers or is not currently investigating their future use. 

“Why does almost every other Bay Area police agency have tasers – because it is well documented locally and throughout the United States that tasers save lives and reduce injuries caused by physical force and firearm use,” Murphy said.

“Berkeley citizens support our having tasers because they understand the potential for tasers to save lives and reduce injuries,” Murphy added.  “If we can save one person’s life by deploying a taser versus a firearm, then Berkeley’s city leaders have a responsibility to at least look into tasers for our police officers.”

“There is no question that the Berkeley community is ready to begin the discussion on tasers, as we are one of only a few departments in the Bay Area who has not employed their use,” Stines concluded.

The decision to further investigate deploying tasers for Berkeley police officers is ultimately in the hands of Chief of Police Michael Meehan and Berkeley’s Mayor and Councilmembers.
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