DECATUR — Decatur police officers will be carrying tasers, starting this week, after city council members voted on Monday to update the police policy manual to include procedures for the use of electronic control devices.

The new policy sets the procedures for training, handling and deployment of the tasers. The department purchased two tasers using grant money last year and police chief Terry Luker reported that all of the department’s officers except two went through a training course and were tased in order to be certified to carry the weapons.

Luker said he read over a number of taser policies from different departments and combined the best elements into Decatur’s policy.

Councilwoman Sandy Duncan asked how the tasers would affect people with heart problems or other medical conditions. Luker replied that they are not supposed to have negative effects on those with heart conditions.

He explained to the council that the taser shoots out two darts attached to wires. The darts stick into a person’s skin, and 50,000 volts of electricity passes between them for five seconds.

Each time the taser is used, a new cartridge must be loaded, and the cartridges cost between $12 and $15 each, according to Mayor Bill Montgomery.

The council also voted to update the department’s seat belt policy requiring officers to wear their seat belts at all times and the policy requiring officers to use reflective traffic vests while performing manual traffic direction and control on a "federally funds eligible highway."

In other business, the council passed a motion to dispose of old city surplus vehicles and equipment. Equipment items that may be disposed of by any means possible include two outdated police radios, a radar unit, an air compressor with pavement breaker and a second air compressor that has already been sold for $650.

The city will be accepting bids on five surplus vehicles, including a 2000 Crown Victoria, a 1994 GMC Sonoma pickuptruck, a 1997 Chevrolet S-10, a 1994 Chevrolet 1500 four-wheel drive pickup truck and a 1988 Ford Ranger.

Bids for the vehicles will be opened at next month’s meeting, on Dec. 13. For more information, call city hall at 752-3912.

News, Pages 1 on 11/10/2010