Calgary Police Service (CPS) Supt. Trevor Daroux doesn't see any reason for concern about the fact that 31 out of 190 CPS-owned tasers tested failed to meet the specifications (that's a 16.3% failure rate, a new record). Solicitor General Fred Lindsay said, "...out of specification ... create a safety hazard ... I have not seen any evidence to support that..." [LINK]
Gentlemen, please meet the Bell Curve (a.k.a. Normal Distribution): Because of the shape of the Bell Curve, even relatively small changes in the independent variable (the taser output) can lead to surprisingly large changes in the dependent variable (the risks).
For example, if you had been paying even the slightest attention to the larger taser safety debate, then you might have noticed Prof Savard's report (hint: CBC) [LINK] where he conducted exactly this sort of analysis on the X26 failures. He found that if the taser output was just 50% higher than specified, the risk of death went up by a ten-to-one ratio. The Bell Curve leverage in his analysis is a 20:1 ratio (+50% in, x10 out).
And given the increasing evidence that tasers are perhaps not really as perfectly safe as claimed by Taser International (have you noticed?), even to the point that the safety of even those tasers that are within specification is being questioned, there is ZERO ROOM for acceptance of any that are found to be above the pass line.
And the fact that Taser International apparently failed to provide even the most fundamental logistical support system such as field test equipment, recommended calibration cycles, test and maintenance plans, etc. - reveals them to be working to a much lower standard than is even applied to radar or laser speed guns.
Which is insane. Think about it. Radar guns are calibrated. But nobody bothered to check the tasers. Crazy. It's evidence that you've swallowed Taser International's world-view - hook, line and sinker.
The whole package adds up to a crock of sh_t.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment