TASER Deployment Expansion - A Local Matter for Police Authorities and Chief Constables
Vernon Coaker the Home Office Minister of State for Policing, Crime & Security spoke in a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday the 28th of January 2009,on the subject of the proposed expanded deployment of TASER weapons:
With regard to Taser training, the roll out of Tasers has been widely welcomed as a good thing. The training costs will be a matter for individual forces. Clearly, the number of Tasers that a force has is not dictated centrally. It is a matter for individual chief constables, with their authorities, to determine what they should have.
I support this, it strengthens the role of Police Authorities and lets local democratic representatives influence the decision. It clearly indicates that the TASER deployment is a strategic matter and therefore falls firmly within the remit of Police Authorities.
