British Transport Police (BTP) will be armed with electric stun guns as part of a three-month trial scheme patrolling the railways of Manchester, London and Cardiff. Until recently, they have called in armed officers from other forces when dealing with incidents that require them.
The weapon was previously only used in the capital by firearms units of the Metropolitan Police and the Territorial Support Group. Assistant Chief Constable Alan Pacey said: “This pilot scheme will enable BTP to test how useful Tasers could be to our officers in ensuring the safety of passengers and staff on the rail network.
“We know from our Home Office counterparts that Tasers are another tactical option for officers in situations where they are facing violence or threats of violence of such severity that force may be needed.”
However, after a year long trial in 2008, the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) were hesitant to expend their use, especially to forces such as the BTP. A spokesperson explained: “The MPA recognises the potential to cause fear and damage public confidence if the use of Tasers is extended to non-specialist trained police officers and is perceived by the public to be indiscriminate,” adding that they “have seen no case made out to extend their availability.”
The weapons are highly controversial. Often referred to as “less lethal”, they are considered by police forces around the world to be a useful alternative to arming with guns. A recent study found that police officers and their suspects were less likely to be injured in incidents in which stun guns are used.
However, there have also been longstanding concerns that their use “has amounted to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment which is absolutely prohibited under international law”. In 2007, a statement by the UN Committee on Torture said that the weapons had a “proven risk of harm or death”, and that through “provoking extreme pain, constituted a form of torture, and that in certain cases it could also cause death.”
Research conducted by Amnesty International revealed that 334 people died after having been tasered by police forces in the United States between 2001 and August 2008, 90 per cent of whom were shocked multiple times while unarmed. Furthermore, they argued that the weapons are often used in situations in which the victims are vulnerable, such as the elderly, pregnant women or children, including the case of an 11 school girl with learning difficulties who was electrocuted after punching a police officer in the face.
“We know from our Home Office counterparts that Tasers are another tactical option for officers in situations where they are facing violence or threats of violence of such severity that force may be needed.”
However, after a year long trial in 2008, the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) were hesitant to expend their use, especially to forces such as the BTP. A spokesperson explained: “The MPA recognises the potential to cause fear and damage public confidence if the use of Tasers is extended to non-specialist trained police officers and is perceived by the public to be indiscriminate,” adding that they “have seen no case made out to extend their availability.”
The weapons are highly controversial. Often referred to as “less lethal”, they are considered by police forces around the world to be a useful alternative to arming with guns. A recent study found that police officers and their suspects were less likely to be injured in incidents in which stun guns are used.
However, there have also been longstanding concerns that their use “has amounted to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment which is absolutely prohibited under international law”. In 2007, a statement by the UN Committee on Torture said that the weapons had a “proven risk of harm or death”, and that through “provoking extreme pain, constituted a form of torture, and that in certain cases it could also cause death.”
Research conducted by Amnesty International revealed that 334 people died after having been tasered by police forces in the United States between 2001 and August 2008, 90 per cent of whom were shocked multiple times while unarmed. Furthermore, they argued that the weapons are often used in situations in which the victims are vulnerable, such as the elderly, pregnant women or children, including the case of an 11 school girl with learning difficulties who was electrocuted after punching a police officer in the face.
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Not quite true
09.12.2009 17:32
Josh