(KLZA)-- The Falls City Police Department recently started a campaign to raise funds to equip every officer in the department with the newest Taser on the market and body camera’s.

Assistant Police Chief Jamie Baker is leading the effort by submitting grant applications and speaking with local foundations and businesses to try and raise the needed funds. 

Baker says the tasers are a tool an officer can use other than deadly force. Tasers also help deter resisting arrest in many cases.  

The Falls City Police Department currently has several used tasers, donated from other area departments. Currently the tasers are shared by the officers. One issue is these used tasers are older models and if something goes wrong, they can no longer be repaired.  Assistant Chief Baker said that ideally money will be built into the Police Department Budget to rotate old tasers out for new ones but for this year there is not money budgeted for tasers and body camera’s. 

 Baker feels the fund-raising effort is very important so he started seeking grants and was directed to reach out to local businesses for support, to aid the grant process. Baker is very pleased with the response he is getting from the businesses he has contacted. 

The tasers, body cameras and related equipment is very costly. The estimate for 10 new tasers which would cover each officer in the department is a minimum $12,000. Baker also wants to raise enough funds to get the newest body camera’s available.

If the amount to purchase the equipment is exceeded, Baker says the Police Department plans to send an officer to Taser Instruction School so as to be self-sufficient within the department in certifying the other officers in use of the taser every year.  Any funds raised above the necessary amount for the tasers would be used for the purchase of body cameras for the officers. 

Events around the country in the last year or so have raised awareness of the importance of officers having body cameras. The camera show what happened, documenting exactly what situation officers are involved in.

While it is mostly businesses and foundations that have been contacted, Assistant Chief Baker is spending off-duty time filling out grant applications to help with the funding. Any business, individual or group that would like to contribute to the fund can write a check, made out to the City of Falls City, 2307 Barada Street,  attention, Assistant Chief Baker. 

There is no set amount, no minimum and no maximum if someone or a business wants to contribute. All help is appreciated.