OCEAN CITY, Md.- They are not new technology, but they are new to Ocean City. The resort town's police department recently added Tasers, a type of stun gun, to its arsenal.
Officials said Tasers are a non-lethal way to ensure officer and public safety.
As of Monday the department has trained all of its staff and officers on using the tasers.
However, only 14 officers who went through an extra form of training, are equipped with the X2 Taser.
The department said that the point of the program is to reduce the chance of injury not only to an officer but also to the suspect and bystanders.
Police showed off the technology to officials and citizens at a public demonstration at Northside Park in North Ocean City.
Police Chief Bernadette DiPino said that she and her staff are taking this new implementation seriously by making sure their officers have the most training needed to go along with properly using the taser.
"We put our officers through three days of training which is more than even Taser recommends that officers go through," DiPino said. "We give them scenario-based options where they have to use judgment and determine whether they have to use the device or not."
Bev Townsend, who spends time in Ocean City, said she has nothing against the Tasers, as long as the officers know what they are doing and have a good reason to use them.
"I have been here a long time so that you can enjoy it, but occasionally on certain weekends- in the summertime especially- it gets a little crazier around here, because you can imbibe in some things and people don't actually think about what they are actually doing," Townsend said.
Ocean City isn't the first to use Tasers on Delmarva. Princess Anne Police Chief Scott Keller said that his department has used Tasers for years.
"We have had Tasers since about 2006," Keller said. "They have been extremely effective in reducing injuries to officers and suspects and have actually saved a suspect's life in one case."
DiPino said that each Taser costs the department anywhere from a $1,000 up to $1,300.
According to DiPino, the money to pay for the Tasers comes from drug seizures.
