The Columbus Board of Public Works on Wednesday approved a resolution to donate Taser cartridges and batteries to a neighboring police department.
The city is transferring ownership of 50 X26 Taser cartridges and 20 X26 Taser batteries, previously used by the Columbus Police Department, to the Hope Police Department, according to the resolution.
Mayor Mary Ferdon said the city is allowed to give away the equipment, as long as the board gives its approval. The board has also done interdepartmental approvals in the past, like transferring a old CPD vehicle to code enforcement, board member John Pickett said.
Columbus Police Chief Steve Norman said CPD had gotten new Tasers “about a year and a half ago” and were required to trade in their old ones.
The leftover cartridges and batteries aren’t compatible with CPD’s new Tasers and Norman added that “Taser wouldn’t give us any money back for them.”
Hope police already uses the X26 Taser, so CPD saw it fit to transfer what they still had over to another department.
The transfer is pending a final move by the Hope Town Board, Norman said.
“As part of the deal, the Hope Town Board has to write a resolution that they’re accepting it. They’re in the process of doing that as we speak, so once we get everything in line we’ll make the transfer.”
