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How TASER CEWs Protect Life and Enhance Safety

Published Date
Author Axon

Axon is relentlessly working toward our mission of making the bullet obsolete. A critical component of that journey is advancing the technology of our TASER conducted energy weapons (CEWs).

TASER CEWs protect life. They are the most studied less lethal use of force option available to officers today, with over 800+ published studies evaluating their safety and effectiveness.

The conclusions of these studies are clear: public safety agencies and communities benefit from the implementation of TASER CEWs. They de-escalate intense situations and reduce the rate of injuries to civilians and officers — and as a result, agencies often save tax payer money and see a drop in worker’s compensation claims after implementing a TASER CEW program.

  • 395,689 LIVES SAVED
    from death or serious bodily injury. (Source)
  • 7,327,575 USES IN THE FIELD
    by officers around the world. (Source)
  • 99.75% RESULTED IN NO SERIOUS INJURY
    in 1,201 field cases of TASER use. (Source)

For over a decade, Axon has sought to understand why TASER CEW probe deployments may have been ineffective in some instances. We have taken that data to build our most effective device yet, TASER 7. TASER 7 achieves better connection at close distances, where most deployments occur, and is making clothing barriers a problem of the past. 

Agencies that purchase a TASER 7 program can also get access to innovative VR training that builds officer empathy and enhanced in-person training with new live scenarios.

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Research & Safety

More than 800 studies have confirmed the safety and life-saving value of TASER technology as a more safe and effective use of force.

VIEW RESEARCH INDEX 

Selected Studies

WAKE FOREST STUDY

A US DOJ funded study by the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center study concluded that 99.75% of 1,201 field uses of TASER weapons in a wide range of drug and alcohol influences, ages, and race resulted in no significant injuries, demonstrating that the TASER device is the safest intermediate use-of-force option for police.

HOUSTON STUDY

In a longitudinal study, the Houston Police Department saw TASER devices help decrease workers' comp claims by 93%. Deploying alternative means of force has also shown to reduce suspect injuries by as much as 60%.

MACDONALD, ET AL. IN AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
In a peer-reviewed study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, MacDonald, Kaminski, and Smith examine less-lethal weapons including conducted electrical weapons. Analyzing data from 12 police departments across 24,380 use-of-force cases involving injury to officers or civilians, this study found that "odds of injury to civilians and officers were significantly lower when police used CED weapons." Overall, the study concluded that when law enforcement agencies responsibly employ less-lethal weapons instead of physical force, injuries can be dramatically reduced.

FERDIK, ET AL. IN POLICE QUARTERLY
Using data from a representative sample of American law enforcement agencies, this independent study in Police Quarterly shows "that less restrictive CED policies are associated with increased CED usage and fewer fatal shootings by police." The results show that agencies policies which allowed wider use of CEDs, were "substantially and significantly associated with decreases in the number of fatal police shootings."

US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
In a 5-year TASER safety study by the US Department of Justice ‘an expert panel of medical professionals concludes that the use of conducted energy devices by police officers on healthy adults does not present a high risk of death or serious injury.’

In comparing records 24,000+ use of force conflicts from 12 different agencies, a separate DOJ study found the risk of injury to suspects apprehended with TASER brand weapons typically fell more than 60 percent compared to the risk to suspects who were arrested without the devices, when all other conditions were similar.

POLICE EXECUTIVE RESEARCH FOUNDATION
A Police Executive Research Foundation (PERF) study found that CEWs led to fewer officer injuries and fewer suspect injuries. Use of TASER CEWs was associated with a 76% reduction in the chances of an officer being injured compared to agencies that do not use CEWs, and the odds of a suspect being injured were reduced by more than 40% in TASER CEW agencies compared to non-CEW agencies.

THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
The American Medical Association assessed that TASER devices are a "safe and effective tool" and "can save lives during interventions" when used appropriately.

References