80% of Essex officers want access to Taser at all times

INCREASING numbers of Essex Police officers are being trained to use Taser and more are carrying it on shifts.

In a recent PFEW survey, 80% of Essex officers said they wanted to have access to the non-lethal weapon ‘at all times’ whilst on duty and the force is moving that way, barring a few ‘blockers’ according to Essex Police Federation Chairman Steve Taylor.

He’s welcomed the wider role out of Taser across the county.

“More officers have been trained to use it, more have been purchased and it’s becoming readily available on the frontline,” he said.

“It’s no longer the specialism of firearms officers and we have hundreds of officers who have deployed it.

“We can’t be entirely happy that every officer in the force has access as there are some issues, one being the cost of the device itself,” he said.

The logistics of bringing an updated version, the x2, into service has also caused issues, added Steve, with officers having to be retrained on the new device.

“It’s more expensive than the older model, too,” he explained.

“There’s also a rather less than helpful buy back scheme where you can trade in tasers under five years old for the new model, but it’s not ideal when you are trying to arm more officers and up the number of tasers out there.

“It’s been a tough challenge for the Chief Constable to find the funds required.”

One way that could be addressed is by placing the burden of cost back on the Home Office.

“I’d like to see that happen,” Steve added.

“I’d like the centre to put its hand in its pocket for this and it’s not hugely fair as Essex and other forces have their own way of funding, it can be easier for some forces to find the funds for taser – it shouldn’t be like that.

“I’d love to be in the position where every officer has it, where it’s part of their overall personal protective equipment, like a baton or CS Spray is.

“It’s the prevention qualities it has which are so useful – the red dot gets displayed and compliance is normally achieved, it would be a massive step to achieving better officer safety.”