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School resource officers happy with new Taser
Bruce Matlock photo
Statesville High School Resource Officer David Johnson scans the crowd in the school's lunchroom Tuesday
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Published: October 21, 2009
Video evidence has been a part of everyday life for the Statesville Police Department for years.
Now, that technology is an integral part of a tool city school resource officers carry on a daily basis.
The Tasers the three officers carry contain a small video camera and an audio recording system, SPD Chief Tom Anderson said.
"We've relied on video since 1997," he said. "This goes right to the next level in the evolution of that video."
Statesville High SRO David Johnson said he's never actually deployed his Taser, but believes the video will aid him even when he simply threatens the use of the Taser.
"It's a great tool," he said.
Johnson said video and sound can be downloaded and shown to school administrators or parents in the event a Taser is used on a student.
Anderson said that's just one benefit of the camera system in the Tasers.
"If it has to be deployed, we can review the video and make sure the Taser was used properly, and if not, address that with additional training or disciplinary action," he said.
The camera on the Taser is activated when the weapon is drawn, and can run continuously for up to two hours.
Anderson said it's obviously a concerning matter for any parent and school officials if a student is Tasered or is threatened with one.
Johnson said that simply carrying a Taser — which he started doing about five years ago — is a deterrent.
"When they see that red dot and hear 'Taser,' " he said, "that's all it takes."
But, he said, even the threat of using the Taser means an explanation to the student's parents, so having a video and audio recording of what happened will make it easier to explain.
Anderson said the system will also produce a record of the times the Taser was used and the duration of each shock.
Johnson said the addition of the camera meant some additional training, mostly in using the proper hand position to avoid blocking the camera.
If an officer's hands are blocking the camera, he said, an alert display can be seen on the back of the weapon.
Anderson said it was decided that the first three Tasers with cameras were issued to the SROs because they are dealing with the largest numbers of people at one time.
He said the plan is to eventually equip all of the SPD's officers with those Tasers.
"It's been very effective for us, as well as nationally," he said. "This is just one more way to ensure the use of the weapon was necessary and done properly."
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