ASHLAND — The Ashland County Board of Commissioners on Thursday approved funding for new Tasers for the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office.
The new Tasers from Axon Enterprise come with an estimated price tag of $103,157.58. Chief Deputy Dave Blake said that sum would pay for 40 Tasers, which would replace old equipment.
From old to new
Blake said the sheriff’s department has been carrying the Taser X26P, which first released in 2013. He said it’s a product that has begun to fail on the sheriff’s department. So, he began looking into other options.
Axon Enterprise did a presentation for the sheriff’s department, with two different options for updated technology: the Taser 7 and the Taser 10.
The Taser 7 has been out for longer, Blake said, and will likely be discontinued in a few years. So, Blake said he focused on the Taser 10, which is the new tech the sheriff’s department will purchase.
Commissioner Jim Justice said the Samaritan Foundation would cover the cost of the new Tasers. Commission President Denny Bittle said Justice had asked the foundation for the funds.
“I just wanted to thank the Samaritan Foundation for not only hearing us, but caring about our officers and supplying the money for us,” Justice said.
Blake explained the $103,157.58 would cover the cost of the Tasers. It would also cover the cost of training five deputies on the new Tasers and the holsters and darts.
He added the new Tasers would be life-saving in some cases. He specifically pointed to a recent incident in Rowsburg in which he said deputies had to use lethal force.
“The accuracy on them and the shooting distance on them is extremely much better than what we have now,” Blake said. “Talking to the deputies on the road, they’re excited. They think this will be a definitely big benefit.
“We have Taser deployments around the year, chasing people and stuff like that. This will give them a much better advantage to stop chasing people and stuff like that, (and) get them to comply with orders.”
Inmate transportation
Commissioners also approved $40,000 in appropriations for the purchase of a new inmate transfer van.
Blake and Sheriff E. Wayne Risner told commissioners the van has three separate compartments for inmates to be transported and put their belongings in.
“Now if we have a female and a male, we put them in two separate cars and you tie up additional officers for that,” Blake said.
With the new van, they wouldn’t have to do that anymore. Blake said it’d be able to transport up to eight inmates at a time.
They anticipate the department will be able to use the van — a Ford E-350 — for the next 10 years.
