Tasers in the United States

Tasers in relation to Crime and Race

Tasers is included in the Encyclopedia of Race and Crime (1), beginning with: Taser is an acronym for the Tom A. Swift Electronic Rifle. It is a brand name for an electronic device for the control of people. It was first developed in the 1960s and 1970s. During the 1990s, the Taser was introduced to law enforcement use as an alternative to the use of deadly force. It has been reported that as of 2007, more than 11,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States use the Taser. Although in itself the Taser is a race-neutral tool, police use of the Taser has been disproportionately directed toward minorities. This section describes Tasers, principles of use of force escalation, and issues related to race and the use of Tasers. A Taser is a hand-held device that fires two small darts, connected to the device with thin wires, up to a distance of approximately 35 feet.

Resources

Notes and References

1. Entry about Tasers in the Encyclopedia of Race and Crime

See Also

Tasers in the Criminal Justice System

This section covers the topics below related with Tasers :

Justice System

Science in relation with Tasers

Technology

Less Lethal Technologies

Law Enforcement

Equipment and Facilities

Less Lethal

Resources

See Also

• Justice System
• Science
• Technology
• Less Lethal Technologies
• Law Enforcement
• Equipment and Facilities
• Less Lethal