ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- As a weapon in the hands of deputies, the taser is supposed to save lives, but its dangers have been debated since cops first started zapping suspects. Now even more tasers will be on Orange County streets.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office will spend $43,000 to buy 62 tasers with accessories for a new batch of deputy recruits.

"It's part of their equipment. It's an effective tool and as new deputies come in they'll be provided with their equipment to include a taser," said Susan Soto, Orange County Sheriff's Office.

About 12,000 police departments across the country use them. In fact, a recent study by the U.S. Justice Department found tasers to be generally safe. Convincing the public, though, may be a challenge when cases of taser-related deaths continue to crop up.

According to human rights group Amnesty International, more than 290 people nationwide have died after getting stunned by a law enforcement officer since June 2001.

"It's been proven that the people that have died in custody have been either for medical reasons or perhaps an overdose. In-custody deaths have been here prior to the taser," Soto explained.

County commissioners unanimously approved the sheriff's office's request to use money from the Law Enforcement Impact Fund to buy the tasers regardless of the scrutiny such devices have been under recently.

Last November, a United Nations committee said the use of tasers can be a form of torture in violation of the U.N. Convention Against Torture.