More police officers to be Taser-trained
POLICE forces are fighting back against rising crime by increasing the number of Taser-trained officers.
Many constabularies are embarking on major “uplift” programmes to ensure frontline officers are equipped with the 50,000-volt stun guns.
The Met said 6,500 officers will be Taser-trained by November while West Midlands Police will give more than double the current number of officers access to the weapon.
The Daily Express asked all 43 police forces in England and Wales to provide details on plans to extend Taser training and deployment.
Of those who responded, the majority said they were increasing the number of officers trained to carry Tasers.
The move comes after a string of horrific attacks on police officers across the country and the tragic death of PC Andrew Harper, who was killed while on duty in Berkshire last month.
Thames Valley – the force with which PC Harper was serving when he died – said it would have an extra 390 Taser-trained officers by 2020. Sussex and Surrey revealed 80 per cent of their officers will have a Taser by 2021 while in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, 120 and 150 officers are being trained respectively.
Lancashire and Devon and Cornwall said they were “committed” to increasing the number of officers trained to use Tasers.
Funding
Durham, Wiltshire, Kent, Northamptonshire and Derbyshire said every officer who wanted the weapon could have one.
And Cheshire Police said all its response officers would be given the chance to undertake training.
Supt Debbie Hooper, from the force, said: “We are in the process of upgrading the Tasers we use. As part of this upgrade, a decision was taken that all response officers will be given the choice to undertake the required training to carry a Taser is they wish.” City of London is considering rolling out the weapon to all its frontline officers and Dorset and Cumbria are carrying out reviews. Leicestershire said its Taser training was ongoing.
Currently, individual forces cover the cost of equipment and training but police chiefs want the Home Office to commit to more funding so the financial burden is eased.
Tasers are effective from around 12ft and work by firing two needlelike probes into the body, incapacitating the subject for several seconds.
Firearms experts claim the weapon is a “game-changer” for the police.
Figures show officers were victims of 10,399 assaults which caused injuries last year – up 32 per cent from 7,903 in 2015/16.
John Apter, national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “It’s time for the Government to set aside ring-fenced funding for Tasers and for chief officers to roll out Tasers to all frontline officers who wish to carry one.”