To keep up with the constantly changing practice of crime, police have established different strategies. One of these developments is the TASER. The Taser is a handheld device that looks like a gun that applies an electric charge to an individual for a small period of time (Vilke and Chan 2007: p. 244). The use of the Taser has become widespread. Tom Smith, a co-founder of TASER International, explained that by his count, “more than 50,000 law enforcement officers in the United States carry Tasers” (Martin 2011: para. 6). Its extensive use has led to controversy, as there has been speculation that although Tasers may be effective in preventing crime, they may also cause preventable pain, and even demise.
Individuals have suggested that Tasers can cause a number of health issues. Vilke and Chan (2007) explain that they can “induce life-threatening heart conduction abnormalities or cardiac dysrhythmias, disrupt normal respiration, or cause metabolic derangements that could lead to death” (p. 245). Although there have been other individuals that have claimed
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Law enforcement officers see as it as both a novel and good way of restraining individuals, without harming anyone (Martin 2011: para. 2). Occasionally the tool does not even need to be used. (Martin (2011) explains that sometimes even just seeing a Taser will prevent an individual from continuing their criminal actions (para. 2). This notion and the study conducted by White and Ready (2011), suggest that the Taser is effective in preventing crimes. Over three years, the use and effectiveness of Tasers were examined in a large metropolitan area were examined to find that “the TASER’s effectiveness was greatest in the highest risk situations” (White and Ready 2011: p. 187). Essentially, Tasers are most effective in preventing the most dangerous crimes and