Philly Police to Buy 1,000 TASERs

The Philadelphia Police Department has agreed to buy 1,000 Tasers to expand the use of less-lethal weapons by officers often called upon to deal with unruly, mentally ill people.

The cost, about $850,000, will be paid from a pool of federal stimulus money the city received last year.

In total, the department is to receive $1.9 million to buy nonlethal weapons and train officers to use them.

The deployment of such weapons has been a priority of Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey, who has advocated a training program designed to reduce violent confrontations between police and the mentally ill.

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