SAN FRANCISCO—The San Francisco Police Commission held its last of 3 meetings on Monday, February 11, to discuss the use of taser guns for police officials.
The meeting, held from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. at the Bayview Opera House on 4705 Third St, was a chance to give the public a chance to voice their opinion on the topic. Chief Greg Suhr of the SFPD would like to equip members of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) with tasers, arguing that this would help reduce the amount of firearm use in particular situations.
Although the adoption of tasers has become popular nationwide, Lisa Maria Alatorre of the San Francisco Homelessness Coalition has argued about the risks of implementing this form of police force. She has noted the already traumatic circumstances under which homeless people have came from and are still living in, arguing that the use of tasers poses the threat of further psychological damage and trauma.
However Sergeant Michael Andraychak, spokesperson for the SFPD, argues that it gives police more flexibility when attempting to control a dangerous situation, without have to use guns.
By Katherine Noland
