In our society, police officers have been called upon to ensure compliance with the law and preserve social order. To complete this task, there are situations in which officers must use force. Since they must use force in some situations and because not every citizen is cooperative with the police, they are at risk for injury. Multiple studies have shown that tasers are beneficial to police officers in many ways, including a reduction in officer injuries. Most studies, however, observed injuries in only a few departments before and after implementation. This study examines whether or not agencies that authorize the use of tasers have lower injury rates compared to agencies that do not authorize the use of tasers in a large sample. This will be done through a cross-sectional research design using secondary data analysis. The data for this study comes from two sources, the 2008 Uniform Crime Reports and the 2007 Law Enforcement Management Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey. Results showed that the authorization of tasers by police departments was not a significant predictor of police injury rates. Although it is not a significant predictor in this study, an argument can still be made that tasers are effective at reducing injuries to police officers.

A substantial body of scientific and medical research has examined the relationship between conductive energy devices and their physical risk to humans. This phenomenological study focused on the psychological impact of Taser utilization in police officers. This research explored how the experience of using a Taser in the line of duty affected officers from the conceptual framework of stress inoculation training and its applicability to Taser certification; the typical mental processes associated with using less-lethal weapons, perceptions of Taser training; and, the preparation provided in training for citizen injuries and deaths. Fifteen officers who had deployed a Taser were included as participants. The sample consisted of 2 randomized groups of 5, and 1 convenience group of 5 officers involved in Taser-related deaths. Data were collected through digitally recorded interviews of the officers' lived experiences. Data were analyzed using a 5-step method of constant comparison to develop and code themed clusters using the officers' own words. Findings showed officers believed the Taser was the best non-lethal device available but they preferred not using a Taser on citizens. In addition, Taser training may not be legally sufficient as defined in relevant court cases. A recommendation is that stress inoculation segments should be included in Taser training courses. Findings indicate Taser-related deaths have the potential to cause extreme stress and trauma in the officers, changing their lives and that of their families forever.