Spit guards for every officer as work on Taser provision continues

EVERY Essex Police officer now carries a spit guard and work is ongoing to get better Taser provision for them on the frontline.

Steve Taylor Essex Police Federation Chairman said funding had now been secured for new Taser devices. “Every frontline officer has a spit guard in Essex. It’s been that way for a while now and it looks set to continue, so that’s good for us,” he said.

“Taser is an ongoing piece of work. We want to see better Taser provision for local officers in Essex and funding has been secured by the organisation for a new type of device.

“We’re working with them as to what that roll out looks like. It is acknowledged that we would like more Tasers and we would like better coverage, and we’re working towards that with Essex Police but we’re not in a space yet of saying ‘Taser for everyone’ and we’re not likely to be anytime soon.

“It’s a slow and steady slog, but it’s one that we are working towards.”

Steve said it was important to remember that carrying Taser was not a guarantee in preventing assaults on officers or on stopping violent offenders.

“Whilst it is an effective tool for officers to have on their belt, it’s not the silver bullet, it is fallible, it doesn’t always work, and I’d hate for officers to be working under the misinformed view that, ‘When I get a taser, that’s it, every violent situation I’m going to come out tops in’.

“It’s not the silver bullet. So, trying to measure expectation in that way, I think, is healthy. That all being said, we would like to see more out there, we would like to see it being available to more officers as one of the tools in their repertoire in dealing with those intent on using violence.

“Hopefully, it will have a deterrent and hopefully showing the device or red dotting will be enough – hopefully if you use it will be effective, but that’s the space we are in ‘hopefully’. It’s not a guarantee.”