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