Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to Deploy More Than 3,000 TASER Smart Weapons to Front Line Officers

LAPD moves to expand TASER deployment along with body-worn cameras to maximize public safety

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TASER International, Inc.

Jan 06, 2015, 07:30 ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- TASER (NASDAQ: TASR) today announced the receipt of several orders for a total of 3,130 TASER® X26P™ Smart Weapons for the Los Angeles Police Department. The first order is an upgrade of 2,270 older TASER weapons to the new TASER X26P Smart Weapon together with the TASER Assurance Plan, a program which covers all maintenance and service for these devices over a 5 year period, including a replacement of the device with a new TASER Smart Weapon after 5 years. The previously announced second order includes an additional expansion of 860 TASER X26P Smart Weapons as part of the roll out of 860 body cameras together with the new Officer Safety Plan which includes periodic hardware upgrades of both cameras and TASER systems.

The Los Angeles Police Department's new green-colored TASER(R) X26P(TM) Smart Weapon. The use of TASER Conducted Electrical Weapons (CEWs) and Smart Weapons have saved more than 136,000 lives from potential death or serious injury. Photo courtesy of TASER International, Scottsdale, AZ.
The Los Angeles Police Department's new green-colored TASER(R) X26P(TM) Smart Weapon. The use of TASER Conducted Electrical Weapons (CEWs) and Smart Weapons have saved more than 136,000 lives from potential death or serious injury. Photo courtesy of TASER International, Scottsdale, AZ.

"The Los Angeles Police Department is committed to implementing safety measures to reduce the risk of injuries to both our officers and the members of our community, while improving trust within our communities," said Los Angeles Police Department Chief of Police Charlie Beck. "In addition to these new TASER deployments, we plan to issue a body-worn camera and a TASER device to every officer. It is our goal to make these important tools available to every front line officer over the next few years."

"We are passionate about technology that makes the world a safer place," says Rick Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of TASER International. "It is our mission to make a TASER CEW available to every officer, so they have the best available options to avoid injury or death. We believe the LAPD is making an important move toward a world where every officer has the best technology and training to minimize the chances of a deadly encounter."

LAPD was the first major agency to study the impact of TASER devices, when Sergeant Greg Meyer conducted a study comparing injury rates from various force options, which found the TASER had dramatically lower injuries (0%) compared to physical force options (injuries ranged from 45% to 78%). A 2009 study by the Police Executive Research Forum sponsored by the National Institute of Justice found that the use of TASER devices reduced the risk of police officer injuries by 70% and the risk of injury to suspects by 40%. Numerous studies have consistently shown that officers equipped with a TASER device are both safer and less likely to cause injury during response to resistance.

The order for 2,270 units was received and shipped in the fourth quarter of 2014. The previously announced second order, including 860 TASER devices as part of the Officer Safety Plan, has now been received in the fourth quarter and is expected to ship in the first half of 2015.

About the TASER Assurance Plan:

The TASER Assurance Plan (TAP) is a new service program that integrates warranty coverage for an agency's current TASER Smart Weapons with a new replacement TASER Smart Weapon every five years, as well as on-site spares so officers experience zero downtime.

About The Los Angeles Police Department

The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department serving the city of Los Angeles, California. With 9,843 officers and 2,773 civilian staff, it is the third-largest non-federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The department serves an area of 498 square miles and a population of 3,884,307 people.

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About TASER International, Inc.

TASER International makes communities safer with innovative public safety technologies. Founded in 1993, TASER first transformed law enforcement with its electrical weapons. TASER continues to define smarter policing with its growing suite of technology solutions, including AXON body-worn video cameras and EVIDENCE.com, a secure digital evidence management platform. More than 136,000 lives and countless dollars have been saved with TASER's products and services.

Learn more at www.TASER.com and www.EVIDENCE.com or by calling (800) 978-2737.

TASER® is a registered trademark of TASER International, Inc., registered in the U.S. All rights reserved. TASER logo, TASER X26P™, and AXON are trademarks of TASER International, Inc.

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