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From:Bill Newell To:publiccomment Subject:Public Comment oppossing Item 6B, May 12 agenda RE: City purchae of Tasers Date:Monday, May 12, 2025 12:57:01 AM You don't often get email from billnewell2850@gmail.com. Learn why this is important Dear Mayor Martinez-Saballos, Vice-Mayor Eakin, and Council members: I am writing in opposition to the city's purchase of Taser weapons. This item should be referred back for to a study session at a later date to consider whether it is appropriate for the Redwood City Police Department to be using tasers to further public safety. Tasers are not nonlethal tools, as their manufacturers may have you believe. They are deadly weapons. On October 3, 2018, Chinedu Okobi died tragically at the hands of the San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies, who deployed Tasers several times in response to a non-violent interaction on El Camino Real in Millbrae. That death costs San Mateo County taxpayers $4.5 million, in addition to causing his family irreparable harm that ill impact them forever. Indeed, Redwood City police deployed Tasers 91 times between 2015-2020. This represents over a quarter of all use-of-force incidents. In 2018 Redwood City police officers deployed Taster 2-3 times to Ramzi Saad during a domestic violence call on Lanyard Drive. The 55 year old man, who had schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, became unresponsive in post- deployment and died at a hospital. In still another case, the Redwood City police shot and killed a citizen in his home, during a mental health crisis, after their use of Tasters failed to incapacitate the man. Last summer Redwood City projected a budget gap of $3.9 million over the next decade, and this proposal would spend an additional $1.58 million, It is fiscally irresponsible to use taxpayers' dollars to purchase 110 upgraded lethal weapons that have caused documented harm to our residents. Before spending $1.5 million to upgrade lethal Tasers, take a step back and look at whether our police department should be using Taster at all!? These are dangerous weapons and not needed on our streets. Consider the following: * Officers are trained to use their firearms, not Tasters, when confronting suspects arms with guns, knives, or other deadly weapons. * As a result, Tasters are almost always used on unarmed individuals (90%+) whose physical and psychological vulnerabilities are typically unknown to the police deploying Taser devices. * Tasers don't even work. Tasers have been found to not incapacitate their target 40-50 percent of the time (Los Angeles Times). However, the number of deaths attributed to Tasers has surpassed 1,000 people (Reuters), and continues to rise! These fatalities are also known to disproportionately affect people of color from low-income communities. * The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office does not use Tasers. The City of East Palo Alto, and the City of Menlo Park police departments do not use Tasers as well in their law enforcement activities.