SINCE APRIL 2007, the Minnesota police force has been preparing to arrest and forcibly control protesters at the upcoming 2008 GOP convention using fenced detention centers and weapons such as tasers.
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St. Paul Police Orders Tasers For Every Officer
Police force will have 370 Tasers just in time for RNC
Last Edited: Saturday, 16 Feb 2008, 8:29 AM CST
Created: Saturday, 16 Feb 2008, 8:29 AM CST
ST. PAUL -- St. Paul police are about to issue Tasers to all 370 officers on the force. Police say they are a safe way to stop a potential threat, but some people say Tasers are dangerous and sometimes deadly.
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=5795088&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
St. Paul to purchase Tasers just in time for RNC
by: Andy Birkey
Sat Feb 16, 2008 at 11:53:29 PM
RNC in MSPThe St. Paul Police Department is requesting 230 Tasers to outfit the all of the department's officers with the electroshock weapon, Fox 9 News reports. The SPPD will purchase the Tasers with $210,000 collected from drug raids. The St. Paul City Council will have to approve the purchase.
The purchase is expected to arrive in St. Paul just in time for the Republican National Convention prompting media speculation that the weapons are being purchased specifically for the convention. When asked by Fox 9 News whether the police will use the weapon at the convention particularly against protesters, police spokester Tom Walsh said, "Our hope is that no one will have to use any degree of force. If it becomes necessary, will that be one of the tools available to them? I suppose that's safe to say."
Five Americans died as a result of law enforcement use of Tasers in January 2008, on of whom was Minnesotan, Mark C. Backlund, 29, of Fridley, who was shocked after he "became uncooperative" with police after a car accident.
The death count resulting from Taser use in the United States in February so far has been one death per week.
http://www.minnesotamonitor.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3217
Published: Apr 19, 2007
Minnesota Police Ramping Up For GOP Convention
by Staff
Minnesota's Ramsey County is preparing for the potential of 3,000 arrests during the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul.
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher's $4.4 million budget proposal includes about $550,000 for a fenced detention facility to hold protesters, $62,000 for biohazard decontamination equipment, and $350,000 in riot equipment and Tasers, the Minneapolis Star Tribune said Wednesday.
"We asked [the sheriff's office] to be prepared for roughly 3,000 arrests," St. Paul police Cmdr. Joe Neuberger told the newspaper.
It is the same estimate used for the 2004 GOP convention in New York and the Democratic convention in Boston.
(c) UPI
http://www.postchronicle.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=14&num=75769
