Candidate pledges tasers for all police on front line

THE Conservative candidate for West Yorkshire mayor has said he will make Tasers available to all frontline police officers if he wins in May.

Leeds councillor and mayoral hopeful Matthew Robinson believes West Yorkshire Police should follow Northamptonshire police in rolling out Tasers to bobbies on the beat - but his proposal has been criticised by opponents.

Police use of Tasers has attracted renewed controversy after events in the United States, where a police officer in Minnesota was found to be responsible for shooting dead 20-year-old Daunte Wright when she claimed she mistook her gun for a Taser.

In the UK, it is up individual police forces as to whether they use Tasers. Last year the policing watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, called for greater scrutiny of their use following a series of incidents.

In 2019 it was revealed that West Yorkshire Police had trained 659 officers to use Tasers, out of around 5,200 officers at the time, with 56 more waiting to be trained before the end of March 2020.

Only officers who have completed their two-year student officer period are eligible to be considered for Taser training, the force said, adding that the officer needs to have been nominated by their inspector to receive the training.

The role of Police and Crime Commissioner will be tagged on to that of West Yorkshire mayor, giving the candidate strategic powers over budgeting and the crime plan.

“The police do a difficult job and often put their own lives at risk, as such I am committed to delivering a new plan to roll out Tasers and Taser training to better equip the police in West Yorkshire, helping to protect the public and helping to protect frontline officers from harm,” Mr Robinson said.

“Tasers are an effective way to deal with dangerous situations and provide a less lethal option that firearms. (I will be) making sure our police are equipped to take on the challenges of 21st Century policing, including ensuring training is in place so Tasers are used appropriately.

“If I’m responsible for policing and crime in West Yorkshire after May 2021 I will be asking, on day one, for the chief constable to draw up plans to roll this out.”