S.F. police should have stun guns

SF Chronicle Editorial – Sunday, August 5, 2012

San Francisco’s Police Commission should not hesitate any longer in giving officers the ability to use a weapon that could improve public safety and save lives.

Police Chief Greg Suhr has renewed the department’s request for permission to use stun guns. The chief has proposed a pilot program in which the devices would be issued to a limited number of officers who have undergone crisis intervention training.

The commission should be putting officers in position to do their jobs as professionally and humanely as possible. Suhr, like his predecessor George Gascón, has suggested there are times when a stun gun can be the best alternative to lethal force against a threatening suspect.

Critics of stun guns point to instances when the jolt can be deadly – especially on suspects who have heart conditions or are high on certain drugs – and worry that they could be used disproportionately against minorities and the mentally ill.

The introduction of stun guns should be accompanied by training and careful monitoring – which is exactly what Suhr intends to do with this pilot program.

San Francisco is one of the last American cities to equip its force with stun guns. The police commission needs to stop dragging its feet.