StunGun.com\'s President Criticizes U.S. Department Of Homeland Security Bureaus\' Decisions Not To Sanction Stun Gun Use
The use of stun guns has encountered resistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security\'s (DHS) two largest law enforcement divisions. The decision at DHS not to allow agents to use stun guns concerns a nationally recognized security expert.


/Guns and Firearms News Articles/ - BOSTON, Massachusetts - StunGun.com - April 1, 2005 - As stun guns have gained acceptance at police departments in the U.S. and elsewhere, the use of these weapons has encountered resistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) two largest law enforcement divisions. The policy decision at DHS not to allow about 20,000 of its agents to use stun guns concerns a nationally recognized security expert.

"This is a shame," said Robert Siciliano, president of StunGun.com. An expert in personal security and identity theft, Siciliano is author of "The Safety Minute: 01." He has been featured on CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, and CNBC. "A stun gun should be a perfectly reasonable alternative to a traditional firearm, especially for DHS."

On March 24, The Associated Press reported the approval of Taser International's stun gun for use by British law enforcement. Meanwhile, a few days earlier USA Today's Kevin Johnson reported that the bureaus of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), two law enforcement branches of DHS, have disallowed the use of stun guns over the past two years. Johnson reports bureau spokespeople attributing the bans to questions regarding the safety of stun guns.

"A stun gun will not shoot a hole in an airplane flying at 15,000 feet," Siciliano said. "A traditional firearm will. Stun guns are the perfect alternative to traditional firearms. Even the British government's gun-less police departments now believe so. America, however, loves its guns. We have more guns than people. Thousands upon thousands of people die every year from firearms. The DHS would rather shoot to kill than shoot to stun."

The Feb. 11 edition of The New York Post mentioned StunGun.com in its business pages. KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh interviewed Siciliano on March 8 about the safety of stun guns and StunGun.com's pertinence to the industry. In a March 13 column, Jim Kouri, CPP, vice president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, drew on Siciliano's commentary about law enforcement's use of stun guns.

Various public interest groups have voiced concerns over stun gun use. Claims by Amnesty International and others have been at the forefront of a national debate over the weapons.

"A bullet has an excellent chance of killing the person whose body it enters," said Siciliano. "On the national level, a very small risk, if any, of death by stun has sparked an unmerited controversy over stun guns' relationship to everyday citizens. Now we're hesitant to use stun guns against people who enter the country illegally and may very well be terrorists. This is by far the single most hypocritical, politically correct action taken in the war on terrorism"

"The irrationality needs to stop," Siciliano added. "For far too long, we have entertained specious hyperbole from those who imagine that a stun gun is highly lethal. It is not. To this day it is still unclear whether a handful of people have actually died after being shocked by stun guns, less-than-lethal weapons that law enforcement officers and others have used safely against countless people over many years."

Arizona-based Taser International is the largest manufacturer of stun guns. Another stun gun manufacturer is North Carolina-based Law Enforcement Associates Corporation. Stinger Systems, a second North Carolina stun gun firm, has commenced production of its own stun gun, according to a March 21 company press release. As reported by the Boston Business Journal, Stinger Systems has nixed plans to relocate to Springfield, Mass., home of the venerable firearms manufacturer Smith and Wesson. According to another recent Stinger Systems press release, former Smith and Wesson executives who had joined Stinger earlier this year are now leaving the company, and Stinger System's co-founder, Robert Gruder, will continue in his role as CEO.

Further Related Resources:


Press Release Contact Information:

Robert Siciliano
StunGun.com
President
P.O. Box 15145
Boston, MA
United States 02215
Voice: 800-788-6486
Fax: 877-232-9669
Website: Visit Our Website