The Independent Police Complaints Commission has published the results of its monitoring of the roll-out of Taser.
Mandatory referral of TASER usage to the IPCC was abandoned during the trial significantly reducing the value of their report in my view.
The report reveals there was one death in the UK following TASER use but states: “investigation revealed that the death was not attributable to the use of TASER. ”
One person got a broken jaw from falling while being TASERed, another’s family claims TASER resulted in the someone suffering from amnesia.
It also reveals a TASER was used on a dog during the trial.
It has been reported that The Metropolitan Police Authority has decided not to extend TASER use to all front line response officers in London on the grounds that they may cause fear and damage public confidence.
They have stated:
We recognise the potential to cause fear and damage public confidence if the use of Tasers is extended to non-specialist trained police officers and is perceived by the public to be indiscriminate
There is no doubt that in some circumstances Tasers are a very effective alternative to firearms or asps [metal batons] but their use must be tightly controlled and we have seen no case made out to extend their availability.
Met rejects plans for more Taser guns - Guardian
Jacqui Smith’s Taser plan suffers blow after Met Police Authority’s rejection - Times
Watchdog blocks Government’s plans to issue 10,000 Taser stun guns to police - Daily Mail
A Statement on a review of the first year of operational use of M26 and X26 Tasers by Specially Trained Units and Authorised Firearms Officers at incidents where firearms authority has not been granted has today been published on the UK Home Office website.
The report is largely a summary of statistics though it does go further.
The Taser current was applied to twenty-four subjects under eighteen years old.
In a minority of incidents, individuals were subjected to Taser discharge both via the propelled probes and by drive-stun (not necessarily simultaneously).
There were no recorded incidents of serious adverse medical events attributable to Taser current application. Secondary injuries were principally the expected barb wounds or probe contact marks and minor injuries to the head and body from falls.
the risk of death or serious injury from use of the M26 and X26 Tasers within ACPO Guidance and Policy is very low. The risk, however, is not zero, as evidenced by two reported incidents in the United States
The report recommends continuing quarterly reviews of TASER usage by non-firearms officers.
The committee writing the report has, on reviewing records of TASER use during the trial found it necessary to recommend amendments to the ACPO Guidance on the Operational Use of Taser to:
- Reinforce the need for prompt medical review and, if necessary, hospital referral, of individuals who have suffered head injury either as a result of Taser-induced falls or from other uses of force,
- Re-emphasise the requirement for in-custody FME evaluation of all persons who have been subjected to Taser discharge, with particular attention given to detained persons who are known to have, or are suspected to be suffering from, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, epilepsy or any other condition (including alcohol and/or illicit drug intoxication) which may influence the individual
The Home Secretary’s statement on arming all UK front line response police with TASERs has finally been released having been trailed in the Sunday Papers.
The announcement can be read here, on the Home Office Site.
The Minister on the Today programme this morning referred to “medical advice on the pilot so far”, however the medical advice linked from the Home Secretary’s statement is from July 2007 and predates the trials (1). This is the research I have critisied for giving too much weight to computer modelling and animal testing and not enough to the real life experiences of TASER us in other countries such as the USA.
There is no report yet on the results of the Trial, some statistics have been release and a link given to the “ACPO position on the extended use of taser” which refers to “conclusions” from the trial. The ACPO trial evaluation report is not yet available.
The Home Secretary states:
Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, 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 everyday 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.’
The Home Secretary’s role is not simply to accede to requests from the police but to make a wider judgement based on the views of everyone in the UK on how we want to be policed, there is no evidence the views of the public have been taken into account in making this decision. MPs in Parliament have also not been asked to approve the move.
1. DSAC sub-committee on the medical implications of less-lethal weapons (DOMILL)
