Front-line cops could all soon be carrying Tasers (From Swindon Advertiser)

Front-line cops could all soon be carrying Tasers

5:11pm Thursday 27th November 2008 in

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SWINDON’S front-line cops could soon all be carrying Tasers, under new Government plans.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has announced plans to extend powers to carry the electric shock guns to all response officers. At the moment only Wiltshire Police’s specialist firearms unit can use them.

Police spokesman Sam Edwards said: “Wiltshire Police currently have a total of 78 firearms officers that are also authorised to carry Tasers.

“Our minimum amount of Taser trained officers that are on patrol throughout the county at any one time is seven, and these are all from within the Armed Response Group.

“Between April 1 this year and today we have actually fired the Taser five times, and it has been effective on all occasions and has not caused any serious injuries.”

Officers are only allowed to fire the Tasers as a last resort, in extreme situations, when faced with a violent suspect and no other means to capture them.

Ms Smith said that £8m would be made available to equip up to 30,000 police response officers across the country with the new 50,000-volt electric guns.

She said: “I am proud that we have one of the few police services around the world that do not regularly carry firearms and I want to keep it that way. But every day the police put themselves in danger to protect us, the public.

“They deserve our support, so I want to give the police the tools they tell me they need to confront dangerous people.

“That is why I am giving the police 10,000 Tasers to ensure that officers across the country benefit from this form of defence.”

Comments(6)

Chowmai says...
8:00am Fri 28 Nov 08

Its about time our Police ae given the tools to protect themselves properly.
Having worked around the world it was quite alien to me to see police wearing sidearms all the time and I do not agree that the every day british police officer should have to do that to match force with force.
That said they need more than an extendable truncheon and/or pepper spray to defend themselves whilst carrying out a job few are prepared to do and many are too fast to criticise.
And to all the 'human rights' brigade who will scream at this I will ask one question. If it was your relative threatening someone with a weapon, would you prefer them to be shot or tasered?

Hindsight is 20/20 vision with time to speculate on all possible courses of actions and is a luxury that those in the thick of it facing split second decisions do not have.