Attorney General Announces New Policy On Use Of Stun Guns By NJ Law Enforcement

Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor announced Thursday a revised policy governing the use of stun guns by law enforcement officers in New Jersey, which was developed in consultation with the law enforcement community.

The new policy replaces a policy issued by the Attorney General's Office last year, under the prior administration. Law enforcement professionals had expressed concern that the prior policy made it impractical to use stun guns because that policy was too restrictive regarding the number of officers who could carry stun guns and the circumstances in which they could be used.

The new policy continues to restrict use of stun guns, for the most part, to situations where an officer seeks to prevent a suspect from causing death or serious bodily injury to an officer, to another person, or to himself or herself. Law enforcement officers may not use them against a person who is only offering passive resistance to commands. However, the new policy eliminates restrictions in the prior policy that, as a practical matter, would frequently have prevented officers from using stun guns as an alternative to deadly force during a swiftly unfolding crisis. The prior policy was so restrictive that, in some instances, it prohibited the use of a stun gun in situations where an officer could use lethal force.

"Law enforcement officers have a very tough job, and we want to give them every tool that can assist them in their work of protecting lives," said Attorney General Dow. "In consultation with the law enforcement community, we have developed a fair and balanced policy on stun guns that will provide officers with a practical alternative to using deadly force in appropriate situations."

"There was a consensus among law enforcement professionals that the stun gun policy adopted by the prior administration was too restrictive, both in terms of the number of officers who could carry the devices and the limits imposed on their use in a rapidly developing use of force situation," said Director Taylor. "This new policy provides responsible and realistic parameters within which police can use stun guns."

"These revisions take the handcuffs off law enforcement to use stun guns for what they were designed to do: protect the people of New Jersey," said Major Karl Kleeberg of the New Jersey State Police.  "The video and data recording capabilities of these devices ensure that officers will be backed up legally for the justifiable use of stun guns," Kleeberg added.