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News :: Crime & Police |
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Champaign City Council Deadlocked on Taser Vote; Mayor Blasts Public for its Input |
Current rating: 0 |
by kakranich
Email: kakranich (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified!) |
24 Mar 2004
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Champaign City Council Members were evenly split Monday night over a resolution to purchase Taser electroshock guns for the police department. The vote was 4-4 with one member of the 9-member council absent. The final vote will be taken at the Council's April 6 meeting. |
Council members Kathy Ennen, Giraldo Rosales, Mike LaDue and JW Pirtle voted against Tasers while Mayer Schweighart, council members Vic McIntosh, Ken Pirok, and Jim Green voted for them. Council Member Tom Bruno was unable to attend Monday's meeting. His vote will decide the issue.
Green, McIntosh, LaDue, Pirtle and Pirok are all up for re-election next year.
Tasers are controversial, so-called "non-lethal" weapons that can propel two tiny fish hook darts up to 21-feet away that, when attached to a victim, deliver a 50,000-volt shock for five seconds that causes excruciating pain and renders the victim helpless and immobile.
City Council Chambers was packed with citizens, a dozen or so police officers and their family members who all wore "Support Our Police" buttons.
Public opposition to Tasers at the meeting was almost unanimous and two hours long. Twenty-nine people spoke against Tasers including black and white ministers, a medical student, members from the Urban League, the NAACP, citizens who claimed ill treatment by police, anti-war protestors, students and many others. One officer and the wife of another officer spoke in favor of the Tasers.
Public opposition questioned police data citing the need for Tasers here, raised questions about the safety of Tasers, and spoke of the mistrust between the black and activist communities towards police. The public told numerous examples of alleged police abuse. Many members of the public were speaking to Council for the first time.
Mayor Schweighart spoke last and was openly defensive of the public criticism of Tasers and the police department and blasted the public for speaking out. The Mayor was a police officer for 32 years.
Below is a transcript of the majority of his speech.
"If I had to listen to some of the comments made tonight, I'd have had a hard time going on to the street protecting and serving you.
"How many of you showed up at the Champaign County Sheriff's office or Champaign County Board and voiced your opinion against Tasers? How many showed up in Rantoul which is in Champaign County and voice your opposition? Either one of two things hadppened. You didn't care about them and your trust the department, or the County Board and Sheriff's department didn't give you the opportunity.
"This City Council has always been out in the forefront seeking public comment and participation. Quite frankly, whenever I see a protest group come down here in opposition to something, I see the same faces always protesting. The Urban League, the NAACP, and I see other organizations that talk about racial profiling and not trusting the police and abuse stories I've heard over and over again. And I guarantee you that there are two sides to every one of those stories who heard tonight.
"But I want to challenge the minister associations, the NAACP, the Urban League, you have to make a step too. You can't just depend on the police because I know they have community relations programs…in the schools, in the neighborhoods. I personally in the past asked some of the ministers to get out on the streets and work on anti-drug programs and they didn't do it. I want you to take up the challenge and go to the police. There are ample opportunities in the city of Champaign, but it's not going to be all on the city or police's shoulders. You need to take an active part to build that trust. It's a two-way street. Then, and only then, will we be able to discuss an issue like this, Tasers will be used just on Black people because I'm sure it is effective on all colors. This is a technological advance that's going to prevent persons from being in trouble. I'm convinced of that.
"You've seen it in Danville, Rantoul, the Sheriff's Department has it. Have you heard of abuses?
"I remember sitting up at a council meeting it was packed with people when cable TV came along. A new technology and they were going to put the black box on the TV and the room was crowded with people who did not want this technology. Six months later, every TV was connected with everything. Now you challenge this because it's new technology and you don't understand it and so you are going to oppose it.
"I have the trust in our police knowing that they will use it. I know they will have regulations to regulate it. …Comply with a lawful arrest and we have no problem. If you don't do it, then don't tell me how I have to fight a subject that's two times bigger than me and two times stronger than me high on pcp and other drugs and you say fight him with your hands tied behind your back but don't hurt him.
"I'm definately voting for this." |
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