MASON CITY – The Mason City Police Department is looking to begin replacing an important crime fighting tool.
The Mason City Council will consider a request from the MCPD to replace four tasers. The MCPD has been using tasers as a “part of a less-lethal response to combative/resistant persons and as a means of minimizing risk of injury to the subjects and officers.”
There is $3,900 budgeted for the tasers, and a quote of $4,085 was received by the City from Ed Roehr Safety Products. The tasers will be fully replaced over the course of four years.
(PHOTO: A picture of the tasers the MCPD will be buying from Ed Roehr Safety Products.)
According to Mason City Police Chief Michael Lashbrook, the MCPD has “used tasers for about 5 years. They have proven their worth.”
Lashbrook (pictured, below) says the tasers are an effective crime fighting tool for several reasons.
He says tasers “reduce the need to physically restrain a subject.” Training of officers teach them that tasers are a “good alternative to not have to physically engage someone that refuses to comply. Our officers are trained to consider using taser.
Many times, “the presence of a taser is enough to get subject to comply. It shows officers are using restraint.”
Lashbrook also says that a report must be filed each time a taser is activated even if it is not deployed.
One drawback to a taser is that it “can’t be used up close effectively.”
Lashbrook says that a “taser is not a substitute for a gun, in a deadly situation” and that officers are trained to use a gun if needed.
23 thoughts on “Chief Lashbrook: Tasers have “proven to be useful to us””
This is scary! Lashbrook sounds very uneducated on tasers, their statistics, when and how to use them. This is who we have running our police department? Reading this article makes me feel like we as a city are in real trouble with this leader. I am feeling like our police department is uneducated, needs cleaned out, trained, and non-professional!
I bounced at a bar in mason for 10 years and I saw the officers pull their tasers out once and a while but never use them. As far as for using force I’ve seen officers take more crap from drunks then I would have and not touch them until the drunk laid a hand on the officer. Every time someone cried brutality at the bar they where drunk tried to fight the cops, lost and couldn’t remeber what they did the next day. so it must be brutality.
Tasers should not be used as a pain compliance tool. Tasers should only be used when there is some imminent threat to the officers–a threat that is below the need to use even more lethal guns.
Tasers are not non-lethal. Over 500 deaths have resulted from their use in the past 10 years.
Tasers have been used on fleeing shoplifters, on 80 yr. olds, on pregnant women, and on children.
A study in Arizona found that 90% of taser use occurred when there was absolutely no imminent threat to the officers.
Lashbrook’s statement is frightening.
I suspect that Lashbrook’s knowledge of tasers comes primarily from the sales and marketing arm of Taser International, the company that sells them, rather than any studies put out by the FBI or other professionals.
The police departments in Las Vegas, Memphis, and San Francisco have banned their use.
One day, MCPD will taser and kill a non-compliant, yet non-threatening shoplifter over a 2 dollar slice of pizza. It will cost the taxpayers and Lasbrook a ton of money.
I love how our Pd uses them as intimidation tactics. Whenever we call them and Mt boyfriend steps out to talk to them the first thing they do, even before hello, is unsnap the holster on their taszer/gun. He has had runins with them but has been out of trouble for the past nine years. Are they really scare of him?
We live for years without tazers. The Police abuse the use of them in far to many instances.
My wife and I have witnessed police brutality during an arrest of a drunk who was not a threat at Kum & Go. My wife and I sat in our car and watched the whole thing. We are in our mid 60’s and support the Police Department. Yet, we also know they abuse their power.
We vote against the use of tazers.
Well, it ain’t up for a vote. The days of Andy Griffith are over. I wish they weren’t, but they are. Criminals are more violent and more chemically enhanced (meth) than ever before.
Its a taser or a gun to subdue them. Choose one.
The Police are more violent too. This is not what they are hired to do. Most Policeman don’t have anyone home inside and the uniform makes them think they are somebody. It’s a shame that is the kind of police we have now days.
My opinion is I think the use of tasers where usable is a excellent option to shooting someone with all the grief that comes from that. We lived in the Golden State of California where the shoot people and reload and shoot them again for little reason so they don’t do to badly here. Also, the ones that are beat down deserve it. They laugh about going to jail but remember the beatings. The council is willing to spend 40K on some damn statues, spend it helping the police instead.
You can use whatever force you like in a socialist society. Its good to wear a uniform during socialist times. No questions will be asked. The citizens of Mason City are NOTHING more than a fund raising vehicle. Parking tickets, seatbelts, etc. Shut up & pay up.
Just stating facts…maybe you should be around when they pull their small man syndrome out. Some of the things that are done and said are very inappropriate and unprofessional. Many in they community feel like the MCPD needs a good cleaning out! It gets to be a problem when the community can’t trust the local law enforcement.
What do the cops say and I trust the MCPD!!!
I respect the job that the MCPD has to do. They have a thankless job. I’m just wondering tho, and this goes to the courthouse…why tase them if we’re just going to set them free anyway?
I’d like to see a list if people the MCPD deployed and used the tasers on. Then see their booking mugshots to see how many are sporting beatdown injuries still!!! I don’t think anyone would be surprised that is many…if not all. MCPD has an anger management/control problem.
You might want to go for a ride along before trying to become an armchair police chief.
Maybe a 9 millimeter to the head would be better?
If people would stop fighting the police they wouldnt have injuries to complain about
I’m not saying they are not needed, but if you’ve ever seen a few of the officers in action..its like they are itching for a fight. Pushing, getting in the face, chest bumping and provoking someone standing perfectly still. If the person then says the officer that was uncalled for…the office then goes off on the person. Many have seen this happen. There are many arrests that could have taken place without incident, but didn’t because the office was aggressive …not the person being arrested. With that being said sometimes it is appropriate to use them. We not only have criminals that think they are above the law, but we have some law enforcement that think they are above the law.
Calm or not, if someone does not follow the orders of a law enforcement officer, that is cause to escalate.
Sometimes the cops do need to be aggressive in situations but when you have half of them running around like hyped up boozos on steroids itching for a fight in front of the community thinking what and how they act is ok, ruins it for the well trained officers dealing with the criminals and situations the correct way. The bad apples are making the rest of our police force look very inadequate. The police force is not for someone who has a chip on their shoulder, anger problem, or has an aggressive personality. They are putting their fellow officers and the community in greater risk and harms way.
Are you retarded anonymous? Violence or aggressiveness is not the answer to any situation. Especially in a calm situation SMH….These officers are supposed to be trained in every situation and how to a react to a mouthy individual …and trust me it is not with violence or aggressiveness! I have seen an office questioning a person thinking that person did something wrong and infact they didn’t and when the officer could not make an arrest they pushed the guy around, chest butted him, while verbally antagonizing him to make a move saying come on just give me a reason cause I’d love to kick the shit out of you. The guy asked 3u times if he could go. The coo just kept at it, When the guy said I’m not going to stay here and be abused like this for not doing anything and he was going to report the officer, the office then took the guy to the ground, shoved his head into the cement and cuffed him behind….all while the guy was non threatening and calm…..the whole thing was so wrong, we did not know they guy but numerous people saw this happen and no one did anything. No one wanted the same thing to happen to them. This is the uncalled for stuff we are talking about. The community sees this happening way to often!
Then why on all the interference with officials mugshots do they have black eyes, swollen faces, scrapes, and lacerations….if they are using these tasers and the MCPD are refraining from using physical force?
Have you ever seen a person when there methed out and drunk? Like the guy that tried to crawl through out drive threw window. Or the one that bit the cop. I have seen people so drunk they fell on there face.
That is exactly one of the incidents…that situation got way out of hand. I’m not defending the man at all…what I am saying is the situation was handled inappropriate and the unprofessional things the officers said for everyone to see and hear left people there wondering…these are officers of the law? Common sense tells you if you taser someone while they are biting you ..they are NOT going to let go…they can’t …they clamp down harder uncontrollable, beating their face while beening tasered will not make them let go either ..maybe better training is needed on how and when to use them.