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County reviews Taser certification costs, approves ammunition appropriation and agrees to advertise Taser cartridge purchase
Summary
A county law-enforcement official asked the council to advertise a $4,594 appropriation for 100 Taser training cartridges; the council also approved a $6,351 ammunition appropriation. The official described vendor certification rules and alternatives such as VR training that could be costlier.
A law-enforcement official told the Dubois County Council that the department needs to purchase training cartridges for officer Taser certification and asked the council to advertise an appropriation.
The official, identifying himself as the chief deputy for the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, said the department obtained a quote for 100 cartridges at $45.94 each — a total of $4,594 — which he said would cover certification training this year for roughly 50 re-certifications (each officer must discharge cartridges to remain certified). “$5,000 is a lot cheaper than a million dollar lawsuit,” he said when asked about alternatives.
The deputy described vendor constraints: the cartridges must be manufacturer-specific, there is no practical volume discount, and training cartridges are priced similarly to live cartridges. He said the vendor (Axon/Taser) has replaced older models with Taser 7 and Taser 10, and that a VR-based certification option exists but could cost anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 depending on the system and department size. He said the department is exploring leasing and multi-year purchase options and plans to return with budget estimates during the July budget cycle.
Council members agreed by consensus to advertise the appropriation for taser cartridges (a required public-advertising step). The council also discussed and approved a separate ammunition appropriation totaling $6,351, with council members recording approval by voice vote.
Why it matters: council members and staff said the requested funding affects routine, legally required training and evidence protocols; the vendor-specific nature of equipment limits purchasing options and drives recurring costs for the department.
