Sheriff requests Taser 10s for transport and courthouse deputies; annual cost cited at $340,000

At the April 18 Budget & Finance meeting Sheriff Hall asked council to fund nonlethal stun devices for deputies who work transport, courthouse security and other assignments outside the jail, saying many of those positions currently have only a service revolver as an available weapon.

The sheriff said the requested equipment would cover about 250 staff who do transport, courthouse security and other duties and that the annual price tag would be about $340,000. He told council the office intends to match Metro Police Department training and logistics and to “piggyback the contract” or lease used by the police department so deputies would be certified to the same standard. “We were just gonna follow Metro Police… this is a Taser 10,” he said.

Sheriff Hall emphasized his intent was to provide a nonlethal alternative for staff who frequently operate outside secure areas. “When we say jail officers behind the wall, no one carries guns. … What we do have is some 250 other staff who transport prisoners, maintain security in courthouses, do all sorts of other functions,” he said. He said the office intentionally waited to request tasers until after Metro Police and other agencies worked through procurement and training issues.

Council members asked how the devices compare with equipment approved for the police department and about training and oversight. The sheriff said the office would use the same training module as Metro Police, and the model named in the presentation was the Taser 10.

Why it matters: the request would change the equipment available to deputies working outside secure jail settings and carries recurring costs and policy questions about use, training and oversight. Council members and the sheriff discussed funding tradeoffs and the timing of other budget priorities for the office.