Cape Girardeau County Sheriff John Jordan donated two Tasers Friday to the Cape Girardeau Police Department and one to the Jackson police.

A Taser uses compressed nitrogen to fire probes with an electrical charge that will disable the person the probes connect with. It is reported to be more effective than pepper spray because it disables its target instantly, yet its manufacturer claims it will not interrupt the heartbeat or damage a pacemaker.

The Taser is designed to be carried on an officer's "weak side" and is brightly colored so it won't be confused with his revolver. The Taser carries a computer chip that records the time, date and duration of each use which can be downloaded into a computer and used in court to verify testimony, according to Cape County Capt. James Mulcahy.

Nondeadly forceOne of the positive aspects for using the Taser is that it is not deadly as a gun would be.

"If you're hitting someone with pepper spray they still have the ability to fight," said Cape Girardeau police Sgt. Rick Schmidt, a certified Taser instructor. "When you're hit while the Taser is activated, your fighting days are over. We say it puts you in a 'plywood state.' It's the most unbelievable piece of equipment I have ever seen."

A Taser is meant to subdue combative subjects without the use of deadly force. Primarily it is for the police officer's protection. A Taser can render a suspect motionless within seconds, giving the officer time to handcuff him before he can move again.

Patrolman Daniel Seger was injured on the job in October, said Cape Girardeau police chief Steve Strong. If Seger had had a Taser, Strong said, he would not be off work still because of the injuries he received during the incident. Seger's absence from duty has cost the city over $16,000, Strong said, and the costs are still mounting.

Jordan bought the Tasers from his Sheriff's Crime Reduction Fund.

"This is something I wanted to do for Cape and Jackson," he said. "We try to find ways to help each other out."

Jordan's deputies have carried Tasers since October, and have had to use them three times. Jordan said Taser can be effective in the jail in the event prisoners become unruly.

Each unit costs about $800, and Strong said by the time the department trains the officers in how to use it, and buys the batteries to operate it, it will cost about $1,000 to put a Taser in an officer's hands. Strong said that he has put money in his budget several times to buy Tasers, but city budget cuts have prevented him from buying them.

Strong said if the sales tax for police and fire is passed in June, he will be able to buy enough Tasers to equip most of his patrolmen. He said he hopes the community and the city council will support their purchase.

City Councilman Doug Leslie said he believes it is important for the police department to have Tasers "for the protection of officers and suspects."

Used for backup

The two the department now has will be used whenever an officer calls for backup.

Jordan said that the Sikeston Department of Public Safety has Tasers for its officers. Since getting them, it has seen a 60 percent decrease in workers compensation claims. Not only is there a decrease in officer injury, he said, but Sikeston authorities have also noticed a decrease in the number of people resisting arrest.

"It works both ways," he said.

Strong said that within the next week he hopes to have a policy in place for Taser use, and to get his officers trained in handling it.

Jordan said he plans to buy Tasers for police departments in Gordonville and Delta and eventually also for the Department of Public Safety at Southeast Missouri State University.

lredeffer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160