Cost Is Slowing Down Taser Roll-Out

MONEY is the main stumbling block stopping the full roll-out of Taser to all officers in Essex.

Essex Police Federation has been clear in its desire for all officers in the county to have access to the non-lethal weapon, and the force says they would also like to meet that aim.

All officers in neighbouring Kent now have Taser but its full provision in Essex is still some way off.

Essex Police Federation Chairman Steve Taylor said: “We are in a different situation to Kent and while we welcome the success Kent have had in being able to roll out Taser, unfortunately we are still restrained by finances in Essex.

“We are working towards a similar roll-out, and the force is clear that’s what we as the Federation want. But we’re a long way from it unfortunately.

“My sense when we engage with the force on this is that it’s somewhere that they’d like to be, but circumstances mean they don’t have the finances to support such a move. That is disappointing, but it is because the finances involved are so large.”

Putting Taser into every officer’s PPE kit is expensive but funding has been found to pay for an increase in the number of Taser-carrying officers, the new Taser device and for further training, which should boost Taser coverage in the county.

But it’s not necessarily the silver bullet for policing, Steve said.

He explained: “It doesn’t solve all of our problems. It is a piece of equipment that can fail, that on occasion doesn’t deliver what we need it to do. Just like every other piece of kit, it’s fallible.

“But officers rightfully would feel safer with a Taser than without one. So that’s the impetus we use to move towards having it available for all those on the front line.

“It’s just going to take us time and effort to get these because of the finances involved, against the backdrop of all those other things we have to prioritise, but I think the will is there.”