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May 08, 2008
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Officials want N.J. officers to carry stun guns
By Rick Hepp
The New Jersey Star-Ledger TRENTON, N.J. — A contingent of law enforcement and mental health experts urged the Attorney General's Office today to let New Jersey join the 49 other states in the country that allow police to use stun guns, arguing they can save the lives of officers and victims alike. "We're in last place," said retired State Police Lt. Col. Frank Rodgers. "We are needlessly placing our officers and the public we serve in harm's way." A committee appointed by the attorney general will use the testimony to recommend a policy for officers. Some victim advocates, however, warned that police could abuse stun guns to interrogate suspects or to abuse minorities during altercations. "If we lived in world where justice is justice and there is no racial discrimination, that would be one thing," said Maryam Suluki, a Burlington County dentist who said she has received harsh treatment from police in the past. "As long as it does, devices that can be abused, resulting in even one death, should not be an option." Nearly a dozen experts offered recommendations, suggestions and criticisms of the prospect of stun guns being authorized for police to a panel appointed by Attorney General Anne Milgram to consider when it is appropriate for officers to employ less-lethal force. The Attorney General's Advisory Committee on Less-Lethal Force plans to use the testimony to draft recommendations for Milgram on whether stun guns should be allowed in New Jersey. Copyright 2008 The New Jersey Star-Ledger
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