Officers with the State Patrol will soon join other law enforcement agencies on the North Olympic Peninsula and begin carrying electric stun guns, known by their manufacturer’s name – Taser.
Troopers who patrol the Peninsula were trained how to use the non-lethal tools Friday in Bremerton.
Troopers in other State Patrol regions also were in training last week.
Tasers are increasingly becoming a standard tool of law enforcement, and police say the stun gun has been a great aid to officer and public safety.
In Jefferson County, both the Port Townsend Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office equip officers with the device.
Keeping more distance from an unruly person increases officer safety, while the Taser itself is easier on the person being shocked, officers say.
“With a Taser, it is the five-second shock, short debilitating pain with no lasting effects,” said Sgt. Ed Green of the Port Townsend Police Department.
“If I hit you with a baton, I am going to injure you. I am going to break bones or have soft-tissue damage.”
The Port Townsend Police Department bought Tasers in 2004, and officers have used them 12 times.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office bought the weapons five or six years ago, said Undersheriff’ Tim Perry.
Perry said his department’s records show the Taser was turned on 24 times from 2004 through 2007.
