CHENANGO COUNTY - The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office is planning on purchasing tasers in an effort to move away from blunt force weapons and toward a more effective mode of incapacitating criminals.

Sheriff Ernest Cutting said, “For a long time I’ve resisted it; but I’m at the point now where I could see how it could be a benefit to the county. An officer taking an ASP and striking someone in today’s climate, it’s bad.”

Sheriff Cutting explained that the department has the money available in this year’s budget to purchase 12 taser units including the holsters, batteries, and cartridges amounting to $20,400.

Under heavy use, each taser is expected to have a shelf life of at least five years. He added that there are not grants that cover the cost of anything that can be considered a weapon.

The utilization of tasers will require staff training, said Sheriff Cutting, and the benefits of employing this technology are indisputable.