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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-02-11 13-080 ORDERCOUNCIL ACTION Item No. 13-080 Date: February 11, 2013 Item/Subject: Order, Authorizing the City Manager to Accept up to $1000.00 in funds from St. Joseph Hospital to purchase an Electronic Control Weapon (laser). Responsible Department: Police Commentary: This Order will authorize the City Manager to accept up to $1000 in funds from St. Joseph Hospital for the purchase of a Taser. St. Joseph's Hospital, in recognizing the potential dangers to staff and patients of the Emergency Room by violent or otherwise disturbed patients, has offered to provide funding to the City for the purchase of an electronic control weapon, otherwise known as a Taser. St. Joseph Hospital recognizes that the use of a Taser can be a safer and more effective means of disabling a dangerous or combative person in the Emergency Room than other alternatives. The Taser would be purchased and owned by the Bangor Police Department for the sole use of its police officers, specifically those officers who work at the Emergency Room to provide safety and security to the staff and patients. This was reviewed and unanimously recommended for approval by the Government Operations Committee on February 4, 2013. Manager's Comments: Recommend Approval Associated Information: Order, Background Memo and Request Budget Approval: Legal Approval: Introduced for X Passage Consent First Reading Referral Department Head Finance Director 45W City Solicitor 13-080 FEBRUARY 11, 2013 Assigned to Councilor Hawes CITY OF BANGOR (TITLE.) Order, Authorizing the City Manager to Accept up to $1000.00 in funds from St. Joseph Hospital to Purchase an Electronic Control Weapon (laser) Be it Ordered by the Bangor City Council that the City Manager is hereby authorized to accept up to $1000.00 in funds from St. Joseph Hospital to purchase an Electronic Control Weapon (laser). IN CITY COUNCIL February 11, 2013 Motion Made and Seconded for Passage Passe , & EffK- ITY CL Bangor Police Department w TO: Members of the Government Operations Committee FROM: Peter Arno, Interim Chief of PoUcQ, DATE. January23, 2013 RE: Grant to purchase a Taser 13-080 FEBRUARY 11, 2013 240 Main Street Bangor, Maine 04401 207-947-7382 Fax 207-945-6824 The Police Department was recently contacted by officials from St. Joseph Hospital who have offered to purchase an Electronic Control Weapon (Taser) for use by police officers who respond to incidents at the hospital, specifically the Emergency Room. Currently, police officers are hired by St. Joseph's to work "private details" at the Emergency Room at different hours throughout the week. This has occurred for the past several weeks and was initiated due to an increase in incidents, or potential incidents of violence against Emergency Room personnel. St. Joseph has offerer] to purchase a Taser for the Police Department because they recognize the benefit to officers, hospital staff visitors, patients, and the suspect during acts of violence that occur within the Emergency Room. While the Police Department owns and issues to Tasers to on -duty personnel, there are not enough to ensure that an officer assigned to the Emergency Room detail will have one during every detail. Further, officers sometime report to the Emergency Room for the detail without first visiting Police Headquarters. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an on -sight Taser in the Emergency Room for use solely by Bangor Police Officers during the details, or any other time that it is needed. St. Joseph officials have been told that we would support a grant from them for the purchase of a Taser if: 1. St. Joseph funded the purchase, but the purchase was actually made by the Pot -ice Department; 2. The Taser became the sole property of the Bangor Police Department; 3. The Taser remained accessible ONLY to Bangor Police Officers, in a locked storage container. St. Joseph has agreed to these requirements and has offered to provide funding for up to $1000 for the purchase. The current cost of a Taser is just under this figure. The Police Department recommends approval of a grant from St Joseph Hospital of up to $1000 to purchase a Taser for use exclusively by Bangor Police Department. Ad @; s7. Joseph HeaL*hcare „ St. Joseph Hospital In the Spirit of Healing Sponsored by Covenant Health Systema Founded by the Felicion Sisters January 10, 2013 Deputy Amo; Chief of Police Bangor Police Department 240 Main Street Bangor, ME 04401 Deputy Arno; 13-080 FEBRUARY 11, 2013 36o Broadway, Po Box 403 Bangor, Maine 04402-0403 ph: 207-907.1000 fax: 207.262.1922 www.stjoeshealing.org St. Joseph Hospital requests that all Bangor police officers assigned to the special detail in our Emergency Department, as well as officers responding to other calls for assistance at St. Joseph Hospital, have available a Taser for their use. To ensure that this is possible, St. Joseph Hospital is offering to pay the City up to $1,000 for one Taser. Upon receipt, St. Joseph Hospital would then donate the Taser to the Bangor Police Department. For safety St. Joseph Hospital will also provide in close proximity of our Emergency Department a secured storage cabinet for the Taser that only Bangor Police will have access to. The Bangor Police Department would continue to conduct any necessary training as well as overseeing appropriate usage of the Taser. Please let me know if this is agreeable to you, and if so we can work out the payment details. As always, thank -you for the continued support and cooperation that you and your officers provide to our organization. Sincerely, Stacy Norris RN Administrator of Quality & Risk Organizational Integrity Officer St. Joseph Hospital