Peoria requests cash for Taser cameras

One central Illinois city could spend nearly $100,000 to install cameras on 250 Taser guns used by police in an effort to quell claims of misuse and to prevent abuse.

The devices, called Taser Cams, are placed on the end of the guns which can jolt people with up to 50,000 volts of electricity. The cameras, developed in 2005 by Taser International Inc., start recording when the gun is turned on and stop recording when the Taser is shut off.

"Taser Cams are like in-car videos and serve two primary functions," said Peoria Police Chief Steven Settingsgaard. "First, they can prevent abuse by their mere existence. More importantly, however, they can disprove false allegations of misuse when they arise."

The Peoria Police Department has proposed a $99,988 budget request and, if approved by the city council, the cameras could be used as early as next year.

The guns are lauded by law enforcement officials across the country as less dangerous ways of subduing combative people in risky situations. But the weapons also have come under scrutiny by some groups, including Amnesty International USA, after they were blamed for deaths and inappropriate use.

Earlier this month, the Chicago Police Department faced criticism when officers used a Taser on an 82-year-old woman who police say was swinging a hammer when they arrived. In 2005, the head of the Chicago Police Department temporarily suspended the distribution of stun guns following the deaths of two people after police shot them with Tasers.

Taser International has said police agencies that were scared away in 2005 were embracing the optional Taser Cam as a way to lower insurance costs and protect officers from fraudulent lawsuits.

The Peoria County Jail already use Taser Cams, which cost about $400 each and have both audio and digital video recorders.

Sheriff Mike McCoy said the cameras are efficient and effective.

"Now what happens, you have one person holding a Taser that has a camera built into it so when you replay the camera you can see everything the officer saw," McCoy said. "You see what the Taser sees. It answers a whole lot of questions, and it's a factual tool for us."