Taser uses by Essex Police officers remains steady

ESSEX Police officers are remaining steady in the numbers of times they are using Tasers, new Government statistics show.

It was used 44 times in 2009, 32 times in 2010 and 34 times in 2011. Taser was first used by authorised firearms officers in the force in 2004.

It was rolled out to specially trained units this year.

Across England and Wales, police officer use of Tasers across England and Wales more than doubled between 2009 and 2011. The devices were used 7,877 times in 2011, compared with 3,328 in 2009.

However in only about a quarter of incidents – 25.7% in 2011 – were they actually discharged. In most situations they were only readied or pointed as a warning.

DCC Simon Chesterman, ACPO lead on Taser, said: “Officers are trained to use Taser to deal with violence or threats of violence and they are individually accountable in law for the amount of force they use.”

Irene Curtis, president of the Police Superintendents’ Association, said using Tasers could mean fewer officers and members of the public were hurt.

“It is not a surprise that the number of deployments has increased because the number of people with access to Tasers has increased in that time,” she said.

“We support the rollout of Tasers. We think it’s a really useful tool that officers can use and can help reduce injuries to the public and to police officers.

“A Taser used appropriately can reduce the amount of time that officers need to have off because it reduces injuries. It reduces harm to the public because if there’s a dangerous individual, they can be restrained more quickly.

“And sometimes the only other option is firearms. A Taser isn’t a gun. A Taser can in some circumstances cause less harm than striking someone with a baton.”

The Home Office figures showed that the total deployment of Tasers increased each year from 3,128 in 2009, to 6,649 in 2010 and 7,877 in 2011.

Steve White, Vice-Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “Taser presents an extremely effective means of dealing with the many dangerous situations that officers often face.

“It represents a less lethal option than more conventional firearms and can be safer than other methods traditionally used by officers.

“Police officers must have the proper equipment to protect themselves and the public and we support the wider rollout of Taser to more frontline officers.”