Will Arizona Boycott Keep Tasers Out of San Francisco?

This Will Stun You

​In Police Chief George Gascon's rush to arm cops with Tasers, he seems to have forgotten one important thing: The company that manufactures Taser weapons is squarely located in Arizona. And the Grand Canyon State is a place San Francisco is ostensibly boycotting.

Arizona last year incited the nation with its controversial immigration bill, SB 1070, which allows police to arrest anyone who can't prove he or she is a legal resident. San Francisco responded with a nonbinding resolution banning city employees from traveling to Arizona on official city business.

The city also called for severing business ties with Arizona, including forgoing future contracts with businesses.

According to Supervisor David Campos, the boycott's author, this resolution is still in place.

But does this boycott complicate Gascon's efforts to bring Tasers to San Francisco?

According to police spokeswoman Lieutenant Lyn Tomioka, Taser Inc. might be the most well-known company producing stun guns, but it's not the only one. The city could find other companies which dispense the weaponry.

Also, there are some escape clauses in the current ban, which allow San Francisco to do business with Arizona if it means the product or service offered is cheaper there. Additionally, city officials can do business there if it means protecting the interest of the public -- which could allow a vast array of activities, when you think about it.

Whether Tasers qualify as "in the public's interest" is still up for debate.

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