UCLA is just the beginning. Big new market for Tasers: CONSUMERS!

[pnwmom]

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/nov2004/nf20041118_7014_db014.htm

"Though the stock's dramatic move on Nov. 8 may have been much more hype than actual new business, the company has real profits and strong growth potential. . . . For the three months ended Sept. 30, the Scottsdale, Ariz., company reported earnings of $6.1 million, or 19 cents per share, up from $1.1 million, or 4 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter. It expects full-year revenue to increase 175% over the prior year.

With the X26 and the M26 models, the only stun guns on the market that pack enough power to completely immobilize their victims, Taser has next to no competition. It operates at 50% profit margins, and it has only begun to penetrate its potential markets.

Just 10% of U.S. law-enforcement officers and only 2% of all law-enforcement officers worldwide use the stun guns. Expect these numbers to change fast, however, both the company and analysts say. In the U.S., this has grown by between 1 to 2 percentage points a year. And overseas, police in Sweden and Finland as well as U.K. special-police units have received approval to use Tasers. In the coming months, Taser anticipates that police in France, Spain, and Australia will get permission to use the guns.

BIG TARGETS. Taser is also looking beyond traditional law enforcement, and sees the Defense Dept., airlines, and consumers as potential customers. All this would make the stock extremely appealing -- if it weren't already so highly priced.

[Eric J in MN]

1. We need harsh criminal penalties for tasering an unarmed person...

...whether the tasering is by law enforcement or a "consumer."

[LoZoccolo]

2. Everybody in America should own and carry a concealed TASER.

There will come a brief period of just over a week an a half where a good fifth of it's citizens will be paralyzed on the floor screaming at any given time.

And then there will be peace.

[Generic Other]

8. Ouch...

Some people will be paralyzed more than once during your interim period! Those poor freepers. Their long-suffering neighbors, friends and co-workers will be having a field day.

[yurbud]

13. how long would it be before millions of guys would be in emergency room cuz they tasered own nuts?

Either accidentally or to see what it felt like?

[Pavulon]

3. Same as mace..

you have to meet lethal force requirements to use these things. In theory, but not practice, if you mace someone you are in fear for your life or someone else's life. Same requirements for shooting them dead.

In practice a woman (or man, maybe) will not be treated the same for macing someone who does not meet these criteria as shooting them.

Law enforcement can use, mace, clubs, or tazers to force compliance with a lawful order. Like get on the ground and cross your legs. Failure to comply is justification for the police to use force to make you comply.

Those are the rules.

edit grammar

[pnwmom]

11. If those are the rules, they make no sense.

A taser gives a shock that is designed to temporarily immobilize the subject. According to a study in the Lancet, a 3-5 second shock from a taser could immobilize a subject for up to 15 minutes. It makes no sense then, to allow the police to taser a subject REPEATEDLY because he doesn't comply with an order to move -- as was the case with the UCLA student.

[Anakin Skywalker]

4. F*cking Crazy. Vigilantism, Anyone?

[Auggie]

5. How long until these are on sale at Wal-Mart?

[pnwmom]

12. How long until the fundies decide to use them on their children?

[dave502d]

6. They should get rid of all those tasers.n/t

[Imagevision]

7. Check with Walmart lately?

[aikoaiko]

9. I'll stick with my .357 thank you very much

[shance]

10. Communities need to start outlawing the sale of .tasers.

That or communities need to start going after companies that sell them so police wont be allowed to carry them.

The abuse and deaths is out of hand.