City of Phoenix
To:

Dave Otanez, Sergeant
Training Bureau

From:

Les Fisher, #5027
Training Bureau

Date:

November 5, 2002

Subject: USE OF FORCE STUDY
During the month of January 2002 the Phoenix Police Department implemented the
M26 Advanced Taser with Patrol Officers. One hundred forty-nine Tasers were slotted
to Patrol and were issued over the next two months as officers were certified to carry
them during a 5-hour operator course.
In an attempt to track the use of the Taser and its effectiveness on the street, I began a
study of its uses by pulling up use-of-force reports for the period of 6 months prior to the
Taser being used in Patrol and 6 months after. The time frame used was August 2001
through August 2002.
During this time frame there were eight hundred ninety-nine reported incidents. I found
that during the 6 months prior to the Taser being issued to patrol officers, eighty two
percent (82%) of the time a use of force incident was reported, the suspect was injured.
This figure dropped after the Taser was implemented. Twenty seven percent (27%) of
the time, the suspect was injured. A fifty five percent (55%) drop in suspect injuries.
For the same time period the number of officer injuries also dropped, from 9.5% of the
time the officer was injured to only 7% of the time, after the Taser was issued. Although
not as significant, a decrease in officer injuries, none the less.
The criteria used for both studies were injuries ranging from lacerations to gunshot
wounds. Non visible injuries, abrasions and scratches were not considered for this
study.
Attached to this memo is a graph showing the results found? With this information in
mind, I request serious consideration be given to arming all of Patrol with this valuable,
less lethal tool.
i/b2062/Tactical/Fisher/Forcestudy

Attachment