Taser Company Changes Hiring Policy After Fort Worth Contract Questions
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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - There's been a policy change for one North Texas-connected company after some called their hiring practices into question. The CBS 11 i-Team has reported on the relationship between Taser International and former Fort Worth police Chief Jeffrey Halstead.
Officials with Taser International say they're done hiring police chiefs immediately after they leave a police department.
The company took a lot of heat in Fort Worth, New Orleans and New Mexico after they hired outgoing police chiefs as consultants to pitch their products.
This is just one example the i-Team uncovered where former Chief Halstead pitched Taser products at a conference – all while he was still serving as the city's police chief. A month after the conference he helped close the deal on a $2.7 million contract with Taser International for police officer body cameras.
The i-Team got a hold of travel receipts that show how your tax dollars were being used for these Taser trips. And we also obtained emails between Halstead and a Taser representative that show how the chief helped the company craft their bid and put it on the fast-track for approval.
After the CBS 11 investigation, the city started taking a closer look at Halstead's actions, his travels and requests for reimbursement.
The city does believe the Taser contract for body cameras is legal. And Taser officials say they want to "eliminate any perception of conflict of interest."
The company now says if they want to hire a former chief they will only do it only after a one-year 'cooling off' period.
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