San Mateo County Board of Supervisors acquire new Tasers

The decision comes just one year in the wake of law enforcement officials revising policy regarding use of the stun guns, following the deaths of three locals since 2018 — including Chinedu Okobi, a 36-year-old man who died after being hit with a Taser by San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies in Millbrae.

Following a presentation in which Bolanos and Lt. Frank dal Porto detailed technological advancements featured in the new line of Tasers, supervisors expressed comfort with the investment.

“I think these new Tasers, by virtue of the five-second capacity, are safer,” said board President Warren Slocum. The capacity to which he refers is a limit on the amount of time the new Taser can operate once the darts sink into a target.

Board Vice President David Canepa framed the deal as “a matter of common sense” prior to his approving vote.

For his part, Bolanos said the new models are necessary because the current Tasers have been used for nearly 15 years. He buttressed his argument by noting refinements to his department’s policy with training emphasizing alternatives to use of force.

Last September, Bolanos unveiled the policy, which incorporated input from the American Civil Liberties Union and set limits on using the weapons designed to be a less lethal alternative to firearms. The new policy followed a study session on the use of Tasers called because three people died in the county from Taser use by law enforcement since 2018.

Okobi died after he was stopped by sheriff’s deputies while walking on El Camino Real in Millbrae Oct. 3, 2018. The confrontation quickly escalated, with one officer using a Taser on Okobi multiple times and others taking him to the ground and hitting him with clubs and pepper spray. A pathologist found the Taser contributed to cardiac arrest.

The others were in different law enforcement jurisdictions — Ramzi Saad was killed by Redwood City police in August and Warren Ragudo by Daly City police in January.

“We’ve learned Tasers are very, very powerful tools and on a very rare occasion, they can cause death,” said Supervisor Dave Pine, who noted lengthy prior discussions with Bolanos and other law enforcement officers on the issue of Tasers.

Supervisor Carole Groom said she felt more comfortable with the features offered by the new model, and was heartened to know Bolanos has fulfilled his promise to acquire the newest technology for officers, then train officers on how to use the devices.

In other business, the board also unanimously approved allowing the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board to advance with considering floating a one-eighth-cent sales tax to finance improvements to the Caltrain line.

Pine said transportation officials are still considering whether to float the measure to the fall ballot, noting the inopportune timing of potentially raising taxes amid a global pandemic. But he said the county’s support was necessary to allow the joint powers board to continue examining the tax. Voting down the proposal would have effectively killed the measure.

Recognizing the perspectives of critics who claimed a sales tax threatens to inequitably affect poorer communities, officials also noted the dire financial footing faced by the rail line serving as the county’s primary form of public transportation.

The coronavirus outbreak has caused Caltrain ridership to drop by more than 90% and the agency is losing $8 million a month in revenue from fares and other sources.

The measure would generate $100 million per year to support the operation and expansion of electrified rail service.

The Board of Supervisors is just one of seven bodies that must approve the proposed measure by a two-thirds margin before it is officially placed on the ballot. Five other regional boards will cast votes in the coming months, with the decision ultimately being up to the Caltrain board. The deadline for greenlighting the proposed measure is Aug. 7. SamTrans has already signed off on the measure.

Pine said transportation officials are still weighing whether to move forward, but encouraged his colleagues to vote in favor to grant more time for analysis. He also questioned whether the revenue would be sufficient to support a system suddenly met by an uncertain future.

“Caltrain is facing a daunting challenge, no matter how you look at it,” he said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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