Twice as many police trained to use Tasers

THE number of Humberside Police officers trained in the use of Tasers has doubled in the past 18 months, the force has revealed.

There are now 262 officers who have completed the training, with the focus being on firing a Taser only as a last option.

Force statistics show that in nearly 90 per cent of cases where a Taser was used, it was not fired.

Inspector Gary Jackson, who oversees Taser training for the force, said they were used 442 times in 2018 but that did not mean they were always fired.

He said: “One misconception about the use of Taser is that our officers will fire it as a first option when dealing with a situation.

“My officers go through very rigorous training to learn to fire a Taser as a last option. In nearly 90 per cent of all cases when a Taser was used in incidents in our force area, it was not fired.”

Insp Jackson said the force’s first priority was to protect the public and ensure the safety of its officers.

A new model – the Taser X2 – was introduced by the force around six months ago to replace the X26 model, with the full rollout expected by the end of June.

“There is a move towards more officers carrying Tasers across Humberside Police so we can continue to keep the communities we serve safe,” Insp Jackson added.