Taser use in Syracuse

News from The Post-Standard on Syracuse.com: Golf club used in fight A fight between two men on a golf course was broken up by a cop with a taser. Sounds great - the man had a baseball bat raised and that was sufficient reason to blast 50,000 volts though his nervous system. He was seen hitting another man with a golf club and had made eye contact and issued a warning. All this probably occurred in a few seconds. Therefore, basic training for a cop to talk down someone acting out of anger is not required. One warning and then the man is down. Instant punishment is not justice. It is born of a lynch mob mentality that demands instant retribution. The dynamics of policing are damaged by the use of weapons. It is great that in the USA where a cop may shoot first and ask questions later that the taser replaces a bullet. But in New Zealand where the cops have not been armed (except with batons) the taser is a step toward chaos. Instead of replacing weapons, it replacess respect, authority and the need to find ways to deal with danger. The taser is a blunt instrument of "justice". Not as final as a bullet but it puts punishment into the hands of front line police and that is a danger.