The Department of Public Safety might add another weapon to officers’ belts with hopes to improve safety on campus, officials said.

Capt. Gene Deisinger, with the special operations unit for DPS, said the department may ask the state Board of Regents to grant permission to arm officers with Advanced Air Tasers.

“It is certainly under consideration on our part,” he said. “It would improve the safety of our officers, as well as the public.”

Deisinger said the taser guns would allow the officers to help with a wider range of situations.

“There is definitely a need for them – the community deserves the best level of protection,” he said. “We should continually follow the changes and update our resources when we can.”

Deisinger said Tasers are the most humane weapon officers can use to defend themselves. He said they do not cause severe pain and are not lethal.

Bob Barak, interim executive director for the Board of Regents, said DPS must make a proposal to the Board before purchasing taser guns. Barak said at this time, no proposal has been made for the weapon.

“It must go through us before the decision is made,” he said.

Sgt. Mike Johns of the Ames Police Department said the department is considering the taser gun as well.

“Our officers could use it to deal with a mentally disturbed individual that is out of control without harming the officer,” he said.

Johns said the department has discussed the taser gun with DPS, but they have not done much research on it.

“We are still a long way from adopting it,” Johns said.

Deisinger said DPS is still collecting and reviewing information about the tasers.

Currently, officers for DPS carry a chemical spray and an expandable baton and are not allowed to carry firearms.

“This will not take the place of any other weapon, nor be used as a source of a deadly firearm,” he said.

Deisinger said this is a decision that was made by the Board of Regents for all three of the state universities.

“That is the current rule,” he said. “We will follow it until, or unless, it is changed.”

Barak said the officers are not authorized to carry a gun due to a decision that was made in the past.

“In past discussions with the three universities, it was decided they would rather their officers not carry a firearm, and the Board of Regents agreed with them,” Barak said.