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BERKELEY – All sworn officers in the township will be equipped with conducted energy devices, often referred to by the brand name Taser.

  While the majority of interactions with the public does not require the use of force, the Tasers offer an option in resolving violent conflict without the use of a gun, police said.

  “Officers are able to diffuse situations verbally through the skills acquired from experience and training,” police said. “Inevitably there will be times that violent encounters and the utilization of force will occur. Although rare, at times the only option available may be deadly force. These are the realities of police work.

  “With that being said it is our responsibility as an agency and it is our obligation to our residents to possess all the tools and have the training to effectively and safely defuse situations at their lowest level when possible,” police said.

  The officers have been trained on how to use them. Additionally, they spent almost a year training on Use of Force and Attorney General Guidelines.

Chief Karin DiMichele initiated the Taser program with the support of Mayor Carmen Amato and the Township Council. She credited Lt. Brian Woermer for designing and implementing the program, with the help of the Ocean County Prosecutors Office, Sergeant Michael Heale and Manchester Township Police Lieutenant James Komsa.

The state has laws on when and how conductive energy devices are to be used. Their use is strictly regulated and monitored by both the State Attorney General’s Office and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. Although some serious side effects can happen to a target, they are generally described by law enforcement professionals as a less dangerous option that can incapacitate a violent person at a short distance. This would protect the suspect, officer, and civilians. Being hit by one is described as a “full body Charley horse.”

  Several other local departments have these devices in use according to recent articles by JerseyShoreOnline.com. Brick’s police department, for example, also recently equipped officers with Tasers for the first time. 

In 2017, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office began conducted energy device training, and the first class included officers from Lakehurst. That year, Manchester police also purchased Tasers with cameras attached. One Manchester resident was even donating money to the department to purchase them.