Regional Taser sales energized

People want ‘more than pepper spray’ to defend themselves



STAND BACK—A permit is not required to buy a Taser in California—or in most states—and the device can be purchased online or in stores. But some restrictions are in place.

STAND BACK—A permit is not required to buy a Taser in California—or in most states—and the device can be purchased online or in stores. But some restrictions are in place.

Brothers Tom and Rick Smith know firsthand the devastation gun violence can bring.

After losing two friends in high school, the brothers— along with their father, Phil— sought to invent a weapon that would be less lethal than a firearm and could be used for personal protection. The Smiths worked with the original creator of the Taser electronic control device—NASA researcher Jack Cover—to invent the modernday Taser stun gun.

The name Taser originated from an early 20th-century children’s book hero named Thomas Swift. Cover used the acronym Thomas A. Swift Electric Rife to name his invention.

Founded in the early 1990s, the Arizona-based company Taser International grew from a small startup to a multibilliondollar business.

Since it founding, the company has sold over 760,000 Tasers worldwide.

Although 75 percent of those sales were for law enforcement agencies and military use, about one-quarter were sold to private citizens who wanted the personal protection offered by one of the handheld devices, which deliver a sharp and painful electrical jolt strong enough to incapacitate someone.

Tasers cost between $400 and $1,400. The devices, sold in variety of sizes and colors, deliver different degrees of electrical shock.

Taser sales have been on the rise in Ventura County.

Jim Rita is president of SRS Protection, a security training firm based in Ventura that sells Taser products. He said sales have increased nearly 12 percent over the past year. His firm also offers training courses.

“People are wanting more than pepper spray to protect themselves,” said Rita, a former Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputy and a Department of Justice-certified firearm instructor. “They may not be ready to use an actual firearm, but they want to be able to drop someone and lock them up, which is what a Taser does.”

Law enforcement officials say Tasers are legal to own and carry as long as the weapons are only used for self-defense.

“You can only use these if you are being attacked, and that’s how we train people in their use,” said Mike Rowan, owner of Trigger Burst in Newbury Park, a security training firm which has also seen an increase in Taser sales, especially to women. “Use them in any other way and you can be arrested.”

A permit is not required to buy a Taser in California—or in most states—and Tasers can be purchased online or in stores.

There are some restrictions, though. To purchase a Taser, the owner cannot have a criminal record and must be 16 or older. Some models have an age minimum of 18.

Tasers cannot be carried in government buildings, on school grounds or in places where public meetings are held.

Capt. John Miller with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said it’s uncommon for a Taser to be used in the county.

“I can’t recall anyone in local law enforcement ever talking about cases regarding civilian use of Tasers,” Miller said. “I don’t know of any use of a Taser by a civilian over the past year in our coverage area or in the cities with their own police departments.”

The captain said although Tasers do not fall under a concealed weapons ordinance, if someone does use one of the devices it must be reported to law enforcement immediately.

“It’s like any other weapon of self-defense. You can’t use Tasers in committing a crime,” he said.

He said the use of Tasers by law enforcement is effective in stopping criminals.

“ If we say to a suspect, ‘We’re going to tase you,’ there is much more compliance,” he said. “They see that red laser dot and they know you’re serious.”

Miller said owning a Taser should not give the user a false sense of security.

“Using a Taser can be a good self-defense option in some cases, but it has limited effectiveness,” he said. “The civilian model, if you are beyond 10 to 15 feet, becomes much less effective. The further away someone is from the gun, the further apart the probes are. So it’s not a cure-all.”

Rita said that during his training sessions he warns Taser owners that they are liable for any injuries sustained from a Taser’s use.

“If you tase someone and he falls and bangs his head, you can be liable for injuries. So you have to take it seriously.”

A small percentage of those struck by Taser probes have died, but whether their death was the result of the Taser shock or due to a pre-existing heart problem, high blood pressure, other medical condition or a fall to the ground has been and remains under study, as well as the subject of various lawsuits.


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