TASERs for Everyone

The purchasing contract must have gone through if we're seeing reports like this:

• The Chicago Police Department is dramatically expanding its use of Tasers, adding several hundred more and putting them in the hands of patrol officers for the first time, officials said Wednesday.

  The "stun guns" will go in every squad car to give front-line beat officers a more effective way to protect themselves and calm a disturbance.

  But the electrical devices have caused controversy nationwide, with debates about their safety and lawsuits filed on behalf of dozens of people, some in the Chicago area, who have died after being "Tased."

Just remember, do not compromise your safety for these devices. If you don't get decent contact with the darts, it isn't going to work, and you've just given up cover and shielding while deploying the Taser. Your backup options are very limited and your already non-compliant subject might not be very understanding or disposed to listen to reason since he knows what's coming.