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Council hears mixed views on department's shift from TASERs to burner platform; staff to reassess after 18 months
Summary
Council discussed the police department's 18-month adoption of a cartridge-driven "burner" less-lethal option versus TASERs; staff said TASERs had three deployments in five years (two unsuccessful), and the department will evaluate 18 months of local data before deciding whether to revert.
Staff outlined the department's rationale for replacing TASERs with a cartridge-driven less-lethal platform (referred to as a "burner") in October 2025 and recommended collecting 18 months of local usage data before reversing course. The police chief said TASERs had three deployments in a five-year window and noted two of those deployments were not successful in achieving the intended effect; the department's committee tested three platforms and recommended the burner as an alternative that can deliver targeted, cartridge-driven projectiles.
Council members raised concerns about officer comfort and effectiveness: one council member said pain-compliance tools may fail against drug-induced or excited-delirium behavior and urged caution, while the chief said the burner allows immediate hands-on control after a targeted strike and reduces area contamination. The City Manager emphasized the need for local data: "We'll wait until the next budget cycle, which would give us about 18 months of data with the burners so that we can really have a true comparative analysis," staff said. The council did not make an immediate policy reversal and asked for a future data-driven assessment for FY'28 budget consideration.
