Akron City Council will vote tonight on whether to spend more than $500,000 on new tasers, helmets and computers for the Police Department.
The lion’s share of the money -- $400,000 – will go toward 165 Tasers to replace aging units that are already in use.
Ward 5 Councilwoman Tara Mosley-Samples says she’s confident council will approve the request this evening. And she hopes council will next consider buying surveillance cameras for high crime areas such as the ones in her ward.
“You never want an officer to walk into a situation -- unbeknownst to them -- that this person may have one of these assault weapons that can shoot off multiple rounds within a minute. That concerns me greatly. Not just for our young people in the neighborhood, but really for the officers who are here to serve and protect.”
The funds are coming from the quarter-percent income tax increase passed by voters last fall, which is supposed to be divided evenly among roads, police, and fire projects.
