Meeker approves purchase of tasers

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The Meeker Town Board has agreed to purchase new tasers for the Police Department and most all of the cost will be covered by donations already secured.

After listening to Police Chief Trent Norton and several of his officers talk about the Taser 7, and discussing it, then watching a demonstration by local officers, board members unanimously approved purchase and a contract that calls for a five-year payment plan.

The town is purchasing the five tasers and all the accessories from Axon Enterprises, Inc., for $13,660.

The contract calls for a payout of $1,900 the first year and $2,940 each year for four years.

Warranty on the tasers is for five years.

Norton told the board, “I have most all of the $1,900 for the first year secured through donations.”

“The second and third year payments are already covered through another large donation by Patriot, a Meeker business,” the chief added.

“That would mean the PD would only pay the fourth and fifth years of the contracts. Gilcrease money, if it comes through, will pay for one year so the department would only have to pay one of the five years,” Norton explained.

The board members also were advised by police officers that “Meeker will be the smallest department in Oklahoma to have these tasers.” They pointed to a city in the metropolitan area that reportedly also has just ordered the Taser 7 for its police department.

The contract includes the tasers, cartridges for both training and duty use, holsters, batteries and a charging dock. “Each time an officer fires a cartridge in the line of duty, Axon will provide a replacement cartridge at no cost,” Norton said.

Norton will attend training in October to be certified, then he will certify his other officers.

The chief related to the board members that what got him to looking at the new Taser 7 was “we were trying to get certified on the X-26 tasers we were carrying. But we couldn’t get certified because they are no longer used.”

Norton emphasized, “If you can’t taser a suspect, then we have to punch the suspect, use a baton or shoot the suspect and I don’t want to have to do any of that.”

The taser has a stun mechanism that can be utilized, too, the chief stated.

The board’s action came during a special meeting on Wednesday evening, July 29.

Later, meeting as the Public Works Authority, Trustees adopted a resolution authorizing Town Administrator Dickie Walton to make application for a Rural Economic Action Plan grant with Oklahoma Water Resources Board

The grant is for a maximum of $150,000 and is for replacement of water and sewer lines.

Walton explained the grant is nonmatching, meaning the town doesn’t have to pay anything.