Hundreds of police officers nationwide also are on payrolls of companies that supply weapons, riot gear and other equipment to the officers' departments, creating possible conflicts of interest.
The arrangements have involved officers who advise their departments on what equipment to buy, according to a survey of at least a half-dozen companies by USA TODAY.
OK, so all they did was ask companies like Taser, Armor Holdings (they make bullet-resistant clothing), ASP (a police baton manufacturer); and PepperBall Technologies (guess what they make? pepper-spray repellent duh), the companies admitted they pay officers to train other police to use the companies' products.
Such arrangements between equipment providers and police have generated no formal allegations of wrongdoing. Taser International President Tom Smith says police are paid about $600 plus travel expenses to oversee a two-day training session on their days off.
"We bring in officers for their expertise," he says. "You don't have nurses train pilots."
Right, but you could use RETIRED pilots to train pilots, and boeing does not pay the same pilots who buy the company's planes (I don't think any pilots do anyway) to train other pilots. Just because everyone's doing it, does not justify it.
Taser in particular has come under attack from Amnesty International and the Arizona Republic, who discovered that more than 80 people have died after being shocked by Tasers. Smith and Weson doesn't employ active duty police who buy the guns, why can't these companies do the same?
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