Tools

Lewis County Sheriff's Department Gets Tasers

Story Published: Jul 6, 2012 at 3:56 PM EDT

Story Updated: Jul 6, 2012 at 11:17 PM EDT

It's the newest weapon in the battle against synthetic drugs like "bath salts" and "glass cleaner" - tasers.

The Lewis County Sheriff's Department now has two.

Officials say the tasers will help keep them safe. 

"A taser would actually disable them long enough so that we can get them restrained properly," said Undersheriff Jim Monnat.

Restraining is the issue.

With about five cases a week of people high on bath salts or glass cleaner, officials say the old way of subduing people isn't working.

"Pepper spray a lot of times does not, is not effective on these individuals that are high on this," said Sheriff Mike Carpinelli.

While tasers will help protect Lewis County law enforcement officials in the battle against synthetic drugs, they say the fight will continue until the drugs are completely banned and taken out of stores.

"The chemicals that they're made with are legal by law at this point. So, it's very difficult for them to try and formulate one law for us so far to make an arrest," said Carpinelli.

Because of that, Carpinelli has been proactive, going into stores that sell the legal drug and asking them to stop.

"The store owners there are very cooperative and we appreciate their cooperation in not selling that legalized drug to our youth," he said. 

But for now, if stores don't cooperate, they're not breaking any laws.
 
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
, Watertown, NY

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