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COLUMBIA, MO. -- Columbia voters gave a solid 'No" to a proposal banning Tasers.

Columbia’s Proposition 2 lost by a margin of 77 percent.

The proposal would have made it a misdemeanor for anyone to threaten to use or activate a Taser within Columbia’s city limits.

Columbia Police Chief Ken Burton said Tasers are a valuable tool for his officers and for people wanting to defend themselves.

In most cases, Burton said you can get a suspect to comply by just showing a Taser without deploying it.

“I am very excited about the support that the community showed for putting these tools in the hands of officers," Burton said. "Now, it’s up to me to make sure that we use them properly and we will do that. I’m just glad that it’s over with.”

Members of a group called “People For a Taser-Free Columbia” said no one can prove Tasers are safe and that the failed proposal helped educate the public on the dangers of Tasers.