New Tasers Join Police Upgrade List

At present, all officers in Windham are carrying Tasers that are out of warranty, but the department is making a push to solve that issue by securing the funding for upgrades.

A total of 19 new Taser X2's will cost $24,852, but Selectman Chairman Bruce Breton suggested on Thursday using half of the money out of the police revolving fund and half out of the 2013 budget to fund the new equipment.

Assistant Town Administrator Dana Call said that the Tasers can be purchased now if that is needed.

Police Chief Gerald Lewis described issues with the current Tasers, which are six years old. The warranty is for four years.

He explained that those Tasers have cracks, batteries not working properly and some displays not showing the battery life properly.

"They do get a lot of wear and tear over the course of six years," he said.

Only one vendor provides the Tasers, so a bid waiver would be needed. 

The X2 model is an upgrade from those currently provided to officers. The purchase would include holsters, batteries and cartridges.

Selectman Vice Chairman Ross McLeod completely agreed with the imminent need for the equipment.

"When you pull that Taser out for a situation, you have to be able to depend on it," he said. "We're playing with a situation that we shouldn't be playing with."

McLeod referenced the recent incident where a Pelham man was shot at 47 Lowell Road as a good example of a dangerous situation where a Taser needs to be working properly.

He said that a Taser has got to be ready and respond when you expect it to, given the close proximity between an officer and a suspect when the equipment is used.