Attacks lead to Taser training call

A Yorkshire chief constable says he will consider training all officers in the force to use electronic Taser weapons because of rising violence against officers.

The comments by Chief Constable Lee Freeman, of Humberside Police, came after 11 members of staff, including eight police officers, were assaulted.

A YORKSHIRE chief constable says he will consider training all officers in the force to use electronic Taser weapons because of rising violence against officers.

The comments by Chief Constable Lee Freeman, of Humberside Police, came after 11 members of staff, including eight police officers, were assaulted over the weekend.

One of the officers was “strangled to the point he could not breathe”, was bitten on the back of the head by a dog and repeatedly punched in the face after being called to a report of domestic abuse, Mr Freeman said.

On Sunday night another officer was punched and bitten, a special constable kicked in the head and a detention officer assaulted.

Mr Freeman said the number of assaults was “completely unacceptable” and he would consider the Taser training being given to “every single” officer.

Currently 333 officers in the force are trained to use Tasers, which deliver a 50,000-volt shock to incapacitate a suspect.

He said: “Police officers and staff are all real people with families.

“Every one of those injured this weekend is a mother, father, son daughter or grandparent.

“They are victims of crime the same as anyone is, and their physical and mental wellbeing is affected by such experiences.

“I have to protect my officers and staff, and every bit of and support available will be given to anyone who is assaulted at work.

“This includes the right training and equipment for all of our officers, and if that means every officer has to carry a Taser, that’s a conversation we can have and I’m prepared to look into.”

Peter Musgrave, chairman of Humberside Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said frontline officers should have access to training if they wanted it.

He added: “The chief is right – we police by consent. We serve the public, is that what they want?

“At the moment too many cops are being assaulted. It’s a conversation to be had. It feels like it (violence) has gone through the roof. Eleven over the weekend, including police staff – what is going on?

“There’s a knock on with all of them – some are relatively minor and people bounce back and are pragmatic but some are really impactive and leave people lacking confidence that continues for weeks or longer, and there is the stress and anxiety of that.

“If officers can’t do their job properly how can they serve the public?”

Last year a poll by West Yorkshire Police Federation found 90 per cent of officers surveyed felt all front-line colleagues should be issued with Tasers while on patrol.

Some 86 per cent of the members of the public in West Yorkshire backed the same idea of increasing the number of Tasertrained officers beyond the current total of around 400.

Earlier this year the National Police Chiefs’ Council argued that raw recruits should be allowed to carry Tasers to combat rising levels of violent crime and an unprecedented terror threat.

Current regulations allow only officers with two years or more experience to be armed with the weapons, which are used to stun suspects who resist arrest.

Tasers can cause cardiac arrhythmia in healthy people and have been linked to a number of deaths nationally. Human rights groups have also complained about their use on children.

Tasers were first introduced in the UK in 2003. Humberside Police first issued Tasers to nonfirearms officers in 2009.

Every bit of support will be given to anyone who is assaulted at work. Chief Constable Lee Freeman, of Humberside Police.