Tasers for San Francisco police put on hold over committee's concern over costs

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Tasers have been a controversial issue in San Francisco for a long time, and now a plan to put them in the hands of police has been put on hold due to concerns over the cost.

In November, the city's police commission finally authorized the electronic stun guns for its officers.

Mayor Mark Farrell also included $2 million in the coming fiscal year to buy taser devices.

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All that appears to be in limbo, at least for now.

On Monday, the Board of Supervisors' Budget and Finance Committee voted 3 to 2 to cut the mayor's budget proposal on taser purchases.

Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer made the motion to scrap the funding, saying she needed a better and more "comprehensive" understanding of the total costs of arming police with the devices.

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Supporting the motion were supervisors Malia Cohen and Norman Yee. Those against were supervisors Catherine Stefani and Jeff Sheehy.

The full board is expected to take the first of its two votes on the city's full budget July 24. Tasers will most likely come up then.

A ballot measure sponsored by the Police Officers Association in the June election failed.

That measure, if passed, would have given the police union more control in the adoption of a taser policy.

Get the latest on San Francisco police here and the latest taser stories here.