By AKILA KRIDENE
news@ColumbiaMissourian.com

France began equipping its national police force with Tasers in 2004. Since September 2008, city mayors have been allowed to decide whether to allocate this weapon to municipal policemen, which remains a subject of controversy.

SMP Technologies, the French distributor of Tasers, has argued for the safety of the devices. Its Web site calls the Taser a “weapon of the third millenium,” which would be a “factor of civil peace.”

In France, unlike the U.S., citizens are not allowed to bear arms. However, Antoine DiZazzo, the head of SMP Technologies, targeted civilians in March 2007 by launching the Stoper C2, a “light Taser” that does not require the right to bear arms.

A French police union, UNSA-police, says Tasers are an essential means of neutralization, especially in the context of collective violence.

But Fabrice Ferrier, president of the Alert and Intervention Network for Human Rights, calls the use of Tasers an “inhuman and degrading treatment” that has an “impact on the right to life and dignity.”

He cites several cases to illustrate his point.

In 2004, in the prison of Les Baumettes in Marseille, a woman considered dangerous was shot with a Taser by the police in her cell.

In 2006, a man needed a cardiac massage after he was shot six times by police who tried to calm him down.

During a cultural demonstration in Lyon last year, a woman was shot during her arrest. And in October 2008, a member of the French riot police shot an illegal immigrant in Marseille. The police complained to the court that the person was violent, but judges concluded Taser use was disproportionate in the case.

“To our knowledge, unlike in North America, there is no individual in France who has died following a shot by a Taser,” Ferrier said.

Benoit Mouracciole, the man responsible for the “controlling weapons” campaign of Amnesty International France, claims the relevant question is whether Tasers respect United Nations principles regarding the use of firearms, which deal with responsibility, proportionality and necessity.

According to Ferrier, the use of Tasers by municipal police threatens both the citizens and policemen.

This statement is exemplified when looking at relations between the police and the youth, especially in the suburbs. Tension peaked in November 2005 during riots in Clichy-sous-Bois after the death of two young people who had tried to escape police.

Ferrier said SMP Technologies “tries to kill the public debate” by launching judicial proceedings against those who criticize the lethality of Tasers.

But public opinion in France has begun to take into account examples from the United States and Canada when discussing whether police should be allowed to use Tasers.