SOUTHWICK – As a follow-up to the Finance Committee meeting Monday night, on Tuesday the Select Board discussed and approved the taser plan presented by the Southwick Police Department last week.
Select Board Clerk Doug Moglin reported back to the board that the Finance Committee agreed with the taser plan.
The police department needed a recommendation from the Select Board in order to move forward and they received that as the Select Board voted unanimously in favor of approving the taser plan.
The plan involves equipping all full-time police officers with tasers. Currently, the department has five tasers, with four in use and one out of service. According to Lt. Robert Landis, each officer is already given their own vest and gun and he sees this equipment requirement as a necessity for the department.
The current tasers would be used for reserve officers to either train with or have equipped during details and will serve as replacements in case any of the new tasers are out of service.
Southwick Police Department. (WNG File Photo)
“This is really no different,” said Landis. “When you have a combative individual, you have this ability to stand back and use the taser.”
Landis also added that providing tasers for each officer only helps the department overall.
“It serves better with regards to accountability and longevity of the tasers themselves,” said Landis.
Landis, working with Chief Kevin Bishop, came up with a plan to acquire the devices that spreads the cost out. The department is looking to purchase 15 tasers, which will enable each full-time officer a taser. Each device is estimated to cost approximately $1,700.
The plan revolves around a three-year lease agreement with the Town of Southwick. Each year, the Southwick Police Department will be making a payment to the town that will go towards the purchase of the tasers. Bishop added that the while the lease is a three-year payment plan, there is a five-year warranty on the devices. If there is a desire to pursue more than a three-year plan, that proposal would have to go to town meeting.
The police department will also be using forfeiture money support the first year, but need assistance from the Select Board to complete years two and three. The department received forfeiture money in October of 2014 when their late former K-9, Jax, discovered more than $1 million of cash during a search warrant for a drug investigation in Agawam. Along with other departments involved, the Southwick Police Department received a portion of the recovered money and still has some of those funds left over to use towards the tasers. Bishop is uncertain exactly how much forfeiture money the department has at this time.
