By Maureen Inouye
Harold Burke-Sivers, director of Public Safety, presented the idea of purchasing tasers for his officers after UP finalizes the purchase of Triangle Park at last week's ASUP Senate meeting..
"We plan, for the area, that officers will get tasers. We are trying to get support," Burke-Sivers said. We are trying to get it cleared with our major insurance provider."
Burke-Sivers said in an e-mail that the idea is "only a proposal that needs much discussion with and review by the University officers."
Burke-Sivers declined to comment further to The Beacon regarding tasers.
Tasers are hand-held weapons that create a jolt of electricity through two wires, which are then propelled toward targets by compressed air. Although the term "taser" has become commonplace, it actually stands for Thomas A. Swift Electric Rifle after a children's science-fiction character, according to the Taser International, Inc., Web site.
Tasers allow officials to stun violent people without the risk of permanent injury to the person or other officers. Despite the intention to stun, however, there have been more than 200 taser-related deaths in the U.S. since 2001, according to statistics from Amnesty International.
Burke-Sivers thinks that the tasers are necessary for the safety of his officers.
"Not being properly equipped for the types of incidents that can go down there (at Triangle Park) could be a problem," Burke-Sivers said.
Right now, Public Safety officers do not normally patrol the Triangle Park area, but when the property is purchased by the university, it will become part of the officers' patrol area. Public Safety does, however, respond to student calls in the area.
"We just don't want officers to get hurt down in the Triangle Park area, especially if all they have is a mass-stick and OC," Burke-Sivers said, referring to the batons and pepper spray the officers carry now.
The Rev. John Donato, C.S.C., associate vice president of Student Life, said the discussion to buy tasers has not gone beyond his level of UP administration and that the purchase of tasers will not happen any time soon.
"We'll go forward with that when we know about (Triangle Park)," Donato said.
The plan to buy tasers concerned student senators at the ASUP meeting.
"I'm just worried that (officers) will use them without having to need it," senior Paul Arnautoff said.
Burke-Sivers reassured the Senate that tasers would only be used when absolutely necessary. Each officer would be required to complete a training process before carrying one. There are already policies in place requiring officers to justify the use of any type of force.
"We will not use (tasers) on students, but will use them to deal with the people that come onto campus," Burke-Sivers said. He could not guarantee, however, when asked by ASUP Treasurer Natalie Svaren, that tasers will never be used on students.
Some students believe the use of tasers by Public Safety officers is unnecessary.
"I think it's unfortunate that Public Safety feels there's a need for that - it's sad to have to resort to that sort of weapon," senior Dane Conroy said.
Junior Kathy Griffin expressed similar reservations.
"I don't know Public Safety would have any reason to get tasers, but I'm not planning to get in trouble anyway," she said.
Tasers are a recent and controversial addition to law enforcement, according to sociology professor Ken Laundra.
"Safety is always a concern, but use of tasers has become recently popular among police and the media," Laundra said.
Laundra, who has a background in criminology, warns against the net-widening effect, a phenomenon that occurs when technology like tasers has a profit motive behind it - therefore prompting companies to make sure all officials want the technology, despite its effectiveness or ineffectiveness.
The Portland Police Bureau has purchased tasers already, and the Portland Police Manual of Policy and Procedure states that tasers can only be used when "a person engages in or displays the intent to engage in physical resistance to lawful police actions."
The weapons deliver an average of 1,500 volts to the individual target. People have died from shocks received from household electrical outlets that only carry 120 volts, according to CBC News.
"Technology comes along faster than we can handle," Laundra said. "The jury's still out on taser effectiveness and ability to control crime."
Tasers are not considered firearms in the U.S. and can legally be used by civilians in most states.
Besides injury to students, Laundra expressed concern that officers carrying tasers could affect student morale.
"The university is a bastion of freedom of expression. The presence of tasers might stifle freedom of speech, as well as crime," Laundra said.
