Free The Use of Tasers Essay Sample

Insecurity is always a major concern in most countries in the world. Very few states enjoy security stability though not for long periods but rather, for short durations. Constitutions always play a big role in trying to combat or formulate policies that in way tend to attend to security matters. Security firms are formulated in a way to manage all security issues. Whenever there are problems regarding security, the government is always at stake as blames fall endlessly to the concerned ministry. Questions rise on how to handle suspects. Are they supposed to be brutally handled or carefully handled?

The issue of tackling emergency issues always raises debates that invite so many opinions. At instances, suspects have lost life in the event of arrest; hence very important information goes not told. There are cases where rioting groups have been approached with armed policemen who had to use live ammunition. Activists hence get a way to raise eye brows and challenge security firms. Due to this and many other factors, there developed a need to invent a system where a different, lesser lethal and life supportive style of arrest could be put in place. The coming of electro-muscular disruption (EMD) technology which has been known to use conducted energy devices (CEDs) has come to be termed effective in as much as less lethal weaponry system in concerned. The conducted energy devices are designed to have very high voltage which if subjected to the body, nervous coordination is disrupted together with inducing involuntary muscle contractions that cause temporary incapacitation.

One popular variation on the conventional stun-gun design is the Taser gun. According to Amnesty International, "Taser guns work the same basic way as ordinary stun guns, except the two charge electrodes aren't permanently joined to the housing. Instead, they are positioned at the ends of long conductive wires, attached to the gun's electrical circuit and that pulling the trigger breaks open a compressed gas cartridge inside the gun. Amnesty International also notes that, "the expanding gas builds pressure behind the electrodes, launching them through the air, the attached wires trailing behind."

Some of the Taser guns have an inbuilt shooter-identification system. When it is fired the Taser electrodes, the gun releases several confetti-sized identification tags. These tags reveal which gun was fired and at what location. Some of the taser guns have a computer system which stores the time of each shot.

The National Institute of Justice conducted a study where they looked at the use of tasers as a convenient lesser lethal weaponry system. There was a need to have the study done as arrest-related deaths were on the increase. The relevance of using the lesser lethal weaponry is to reduce pain and injury to both the officers and the suspects. There have been reported deaths to persons who were subjected to CEDs. Some were healthy adults and others were chemically dependent persons. This raises the issue of the relevance and safety of the ECDs. The study on the use of tasers henceforth welcomes a lot of questions.

The study involved a committee with representation from the American College of Pathologists, center for disease control and prevention and the national association of medical examiners. In the study, the steering committee looked into various kinds of deaths resulting from exposure to CEDs. Consultations were done with human rights activists and various law stakeholders. There is need to look at the effects of CEDs exposure to both the healthy and the unhealthy and even animals.

One cannot argue that exposure to CED such as tasers, is not involving risks. Looking at the other hand, the alternative has been to use, for example, live ammunition on suspects. So, which one can be termed as risky? Exposure to CEDs is safe if done in the best experienced standards. The standards should thus be regulated and publicized. When there is exposure of darts to some sensitive places such as parts of the head, for instance, the eyes, one's vision might be affected. Another example given by the committee is exposing CEDs to persons in water, or persons on steep slopes. A person in water might drown and a person on a steep slope might fall off, thus, causing injuries. Arguably, exposure of CEDs to persons with certain highly rated dangerous medical conditions such as cardiac dysrhythmia has no impacts. The respiratory process is also not affected by exposure of the same. The technology might be termed as a stress associated mechanism as it may involve stinging of pain, struggle and discomfort.

The safety of CEDs is not farfetched to pregnant women and children. The aged and persons with heart defects should also not be included in the list of persons who can safely be exposed to CEDs. Though still, all persons exposed to CEDs should be given immediate medical attention. Close monitoring is then done to check improvement.

In the event of a reported death that is claimed to have occurred due to exposure to a taser mechanism, there's protocol that involves investigating the medical history of the person, witnesses accounts and general medical examination. According to the study by National Institute of Justice, very few cases of death after taser usage were reported.

All in all, the use of tasers should be seen as a remedy towards getting hold of suspects. The argument of the risks involved is out ruled by the fact that, it's better to use a taser rather than using live ammunition. Therefore, the use of tasers as a less lethal weapon towards suspects should be welcomed bearing in fact the advantages, which are far too many.

 

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