EUGENE, Ore. — The Lane County Sheriff’s Office is planning on investing more than $400,000 in new tasers, sparking a debate over safety and financial priorities. The funds, drawn from the Department of Public Safety’s existing budget, aim to replace aging equipment that deputies say is prone to failure.
“Someone who maybe wants to get in a physical confrontation with a deputy, who may even be smaller than them physically — they’re over-matched — having a taser at their disposal often has the potential to just diffuse the whole situation completely,” LCSO Sgt. Tim Wallace said.
The Sheriff’s Office said tasers help reduce the need for physical force or deadly weapons.
“Tasers have been around for a very long time, so it’s become an industry standard in law enforcement — certainly in the United States and even around the world — because they have proven time and time again that they’re a life-saving tool,” Wallace said…