Police department receiving new Tasers

By Jenna Wilson

The St. Joseph Police Department’s arsenal of Taser guns is about to see an upgrade, a purchase that proponents say will improve safety for both officers and suspects.

The Tasers are part of a five-year contract with Axon Enterprise worth approximately $640,000 that was recently approved by the St. Joseph City Council. Police Chief Paul Luster said aging equipment can be a detriment to officers in emergencies.

“We were able to have the latest model in the conducted energy weapon approved which is the Taser 10,” he said. “It is probably the most advanced Taser Axon has put out to date and it’s really a testament to the efforts put towards making our officers and communities safer.”

The Taser X26P, currently being used by St. Joseph police is the smallest weapon of the four models and gives officers just one attempt to shoot probes into a suspect.

Meanwhile, the Taser 10 the department will be using has a range of three times as long. It still requires two probes to connect but officers fire one at a time with 10 probes in the cartridge, giving an officer more chances to land two probes.

“You have to create the spread, which will allow the officer to be able to utilize the device in multiple areas that previously were unavailable,” Luster added.

SJPD expects to transition to Taser 10 in January.