'Tasers for all front-line officers' - Police Federation

[Chippiewill]

All front-line police officers should be offered a Taser in light of the increased terrorism threat, the head of the Police Federation says.

Steve White said it would help protect against "dangerous people" who could be "preparing to attack police officers".

He told The Guardian that every police officer was a potential target.

The federation is to vote on the proposal, that every uniformed frontline officer should be offered Taser training, next month.

Some officers may choose not to carry one.

Mr White said: "The terrorist ideal to get attention no longer relies on an attack being in a place of note.

"It could be in Cheam high street, in any town, in any part of the UK.

"We know there are more dangerous people out there, preparing to attack police officers and we need to be able to respond to that threat."

He made a similar call when vice-chair of the federation, following the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby.

Referring to the soldier's death again, Mr White told the newspaper: "As (the) Lee Rigby (murder) demonstrated, you don't need to have a gun to create terrorism.

"It is a defensive tool and a tactical option. We have a largely unarmed service and the service wants that to remain.

"The alternative is to have officers out there without anything at all. We have to do something.

"The sector threat (to police) has gone up by two levels and we need to make sure everything is done to protect officers who protect the public."

Tasers were introduced into British policing in 2003 as a non-lethal alternative for firearms officers facing potentially dangerous suspects.

Officers are required to take a training course before being allowed to use a Taser and they are told only to deploy them when threatened with violence.

In 2013, Tasers were deployed 10,380 times across England and Wales and there were 154 complaints about their use.

There have been a number of deaths related to the use of the stun guns.

Amnesty International UK's arms programme director Oliver Sprague told the Guardian: "We've always said that Tasers can have a part to play in policing operations where there's a clear risk of death or serious injury to police officers or members of the public - but Tasers should be used sparingly and only by highly-trained officers."

He also queried if there was evidence that a terrorist would be deterred by knowing police officers were armed with Tasers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31071922

Frankly, I'm not a fan of routinely arming our police officers - even with tasers. I am extremely proud of how much our police force accomplishes with just a baton and spray and I would hate to see our standards slip.

[-:Undertaker:-]

They'll need tasers for when they pull over motorists and the motorists dare to answer back as to why they aren't out catching real criminals and patrolling the streets rather than driving around and collecting fines for the greedy councils - all in the name of safety of course.

In short: tasers won't make a difference to a Police force and a criminal justice system that are a laughing stock. Wrong solution to a big problem.

[peteyt]

They'll need tasers for when they pull over motorists and the motorists dare to answer back as to why they aren't out catching real criminals and patrolling the streets rather than driving around and collecting fines for the greedy councils - all in the name of safety of course.

In short: tasers won't make a difference to a Police force and a criminal justice system that are a laughing stock. Wrong solution to a big problem.

Don't you support the right to arm people with weapons though or have I got you confused with someone else? I'd rather have police carrying tasers over guns

[-:Undertaker:-]

Don't you support the right to arm people with weapons though or have I got you confused with someone else? I'd rather have police carrying tasers over guns

I think people should, if they are suitable, have the right to use a gun in their home against people threatening them or their family yeah.

The Police are no good in such a situation as they'll turn up (armed or unarmed - it matters not) when you are a bleeding corpse on the floor.

[scottish]

I think people should, if they are suitable, have the right to use a gun in their home against people threatening them or their family yeah.

The Police are no good in such a situation as they'll turn up (armed or unarmed - it matters not) when you are a bleeding corpse on the floor.

So you think that people should be armed but the police shouldn't be?