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Taser Discharges Increase As More Trained Officers Have The Authority To Use Them

12 May 2008

The number of Taser uses and discharges has increased as more trained police officers have the authority to use them, new figures from the Home Office show.

The number of Taser uses and discharges has increased as more trained police officers have the authority to use them, new figures from the Home Office show.he latest Taser statistics published today include figures from the first half of the Taser trial which was launched on 1 September 2007. The number of Taser usages for the period between 1 September 2007 and 29 February 2008 was 252 (236 of which were in last three months). Tasers were actually only discharged in 31 situations (of which 25 discharges were in the last three months) indicating that drawing or aiming the Taser is enough of a deterrent in most situations.

These pilot figures are published alongside a breakdown of all Taser use across England and Wales since Tasers were introduced for authorised firearms officers in April 2004.

 

Tasers are a valuable tool in policing the streets and increase public and police officer security. Ten police forces across the country have been taking part in a 12 month trial which has seen Taser being used by specially trained units who are not firearm officers, but could face similarly violent circumstances requiring conflict management.

 

Home Office Minister Tony McNulty said:

 

 

“Tasers have contributed to resolving incidents without injury where otherwise there would have been a real possibility of someone being seriously injured or killed. In most cases they have not needed to be fired; drawing or aiming the Taser has been enough of a deterrent.

“Protection of officers and members of the public is clearly our highest priority. The Government will be closely monitoring the trial to evaluate Taser's benefits against any risks.”

 

 

Notes to Editors:

  1. Second Quarter Taser statistics are published at http://science.homeoffice.gov.uk/hosdb/about-us/news/539349
  2. The trial was undertaken in 10 police forces including: Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Gwent, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Metropolitan Police Service, Northamptonshire, Northumbria, North Wales and West Yorkshire. All of the officers involved have been fully trained in the use of Taser and will only be using Taser in strict accordance with Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) guidelines
  3. The current trial will continue a rigorous approach to informing decisions around the future deployment of Taser. Evaluation of Tasers’ benefits against any risks, and continued stringent training, guidance and monitoring is on-going. Latest independent medical advice is that the risk of serious injury from a Taser is low.
  4. A Taser ‘discharge’ is when the barbs are fired – eg the Taser is fired.  A Taser ‘use’ includes one of: a discharge, a drive stun, arced, red dot, aimed, or drawn.  This often works as a deterrent.
  5. Taser use tables:

Table 1 - TASER use in the UK excluding the original 2003 pilot

 

 - 22 April 2004 to 29 February 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Usage Details

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Force

Discharges

Drive-stuns

Arced

Red Dot

Aimed

Drawn

Not Stated

Total Used

 

Avon & Somerset Constabulary

13

1

7

18

2

12

 

53

 

Bedfordshire Police

13

1

1

6

2

1

 

24

 

Cambridgeshire Constabulary

3

 

 

40

3

6

 

52

 

Cheshire Constabulary

9

 

3

7

1

2

 

22

 

City of London Police

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

3

 

Cleveland Police

28

1

 

36

 

6

 

71

 

Cumbria Constabulary

3

1

2

21

1

2

1

31

 

Derbyshire Constabulary

4

 

 

24

1

2

 

31

 

Devon & Cornwall Constabulary

15

2

2

13

1

 

 

33

 

Dorset Police

18

3

3

23

1

7

 

55

 

Durham Constabulary

24

1

 

42

 

 

 

67

 

Dyfed-Powys Police

2

 

 

3

1

1

 

7

 

Essex Police

9

1

 

4

 

1

 

15

 

Gloucestershire Constabulary

17

 

 

21

 

 

 

38

 

Greater Manchester Police

14

6

 

11

 

1

 

32

 

Gwent Police

5

 

1

18

1

2

 

27

 

Hampshire Constabulary

11

 

 

2

 

1

 

14

 

Hertfordshire Constabulary

16

2

2

16

 

6

 

42

 

Humberside Police

11

1

7

45

3

2

 

69

 

Kent Police

2

 

 

6

 

4

 

12

 

Lancashire Constabulary

32

4

1

33

1

4

 

75

 

Leicestershire Constabulary

9

1

9

4

 

1

 

24

 

Lincolnshire Police

8

2

1

8

1

3

 

23

 

Merseyside Police

15

1

1

23

10

6

 

56

 

Metropolitan Police

155

35

8

79

10

38

3

328

 

Norfolk Constabulary

13

1

 

5

 

 

 

19

 

North Wales Police

24

4

2

61

5

4

 

100

 

North Yorkshire Police

6

2

1

20

2

4

 

35

 

Northamptonshire Police

5

1

 

6

 

3

 

15

 

Northumbria Police

20

1

1

127

9

47

1

206

 

Nottinghamshire Police

5

 

 

4

 

 

 

9

 

South Wales Police

15

 

 

8

2

1

 

26

 

South Yorkshire Police

2

 

 

1

 

 

 

3

 

Staffordshire Police

8

4

5

54

7

4

1

83

 

Suffolk Constabulary

10

1

 

3

 

2

 

16

 

Surrey Police

1

1

2

3

 

 

 

7

 

Sussex Police

10

1

 

24

1

4

 

40

 

Thames Valley Police

6

2

 

6

1

 

 

15

 

Warwickshire Police

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

West Mercia Constabulary

16

3

1

21

1

1

 

43

 

West Midlands Police

40

3

1

35

 

 

 

79

 

West Yorkshire Police

55

6

8

61

3

3

1

137

 

Wiltshire Constabulary

12

 

 

4

1

 

 

17

 

X Not Stated

1

 

 

 

1

 

 

2

 

Totals

685

93

69

949

72

181

7

2056

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NB: Only the highest level of 'use' for each TASER deployment is recorded.

 'Use' as defined by ACPO: TASER Operational Guidance July 2007 policy section 6.6.3

 

 

 

Table - TASER use by authorised firearms officers outside of a firearms authority from

 

                20 July  2007 to 29 February 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

Usage Details

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Force

Discharges

Drive-stuns

Arced

Red Dot

Aimed

Drawn

Not Stated

Total Used

 

Avon & Somerset Constabulary

6

 

5

9

2

5

 

27

 

Bedfordshire Police

 

1

 

2

 

 

 

3

 

Cambridgeshire Constabulary

1

 

 

17

 

5

 

23

 

Cheshire Constabulary

 

 

 

3

1

2

 

6

 

City of London Police

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

1

 

Cleveland Police

 

 

 

4

 

 

 

4

 

Cumbria Constabulary

1

1

1

12

1

 

 

16

 

Derbyshire Constabulary

3

 

 

10

1

2

 

16

 

Devon & Cornwall Constabulary

3

2

1

3

 

 

 

9

 

Dorset Police

3

1

 

 

 

 

 

4

 

Durham Constabulary

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Dyfed-Powys Police

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

1

 

Essex Police

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

 

Gloucestershire Constabulary

5

 

 

10

 

 

 

15

 

Greater Manchester Police

1

 

 

3

 

 

 

4

 

Gwent Police

 

 

 

3

 

2

 

5

 

Hampshire Constabulary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hertfordshire Constabulary

3

1

2

5

 

2

 

13

 

Humberside Police

6

 

2

17

 

2

 

27

 

Kent Police

 

 

 

5

 

4

 

9

 

Lancashire Constabulary

14

3

1

12

 

4

 

34

 

Leicestershire Constabulary

6

1

4

2

 

1

 

14

 

Lincolnshire Police

1

2

 

4

 

3

 

10

 

Merseyside Police

3

 

 

5

 

 

 

8

 

Metropolitan Police Service

2

2

 

1

 

1

 

6

 

Norfolk Constabulary

6

 

 

1

 

 

 

7

 

North Wales Police

3

2

 

5

 

2

 

12

 

North Yorkshire Police

4

2

 

10

 

4

 

20

 

Northamptonshire Police

 

1

 

1

 

2

 

4

 

Northumbria Police

 

 

 

5

1

2

 

8

 

Nottinghamshire Police

 

 

 

4

 

 

 

4

 

South Wales Police

6

 

 

5

2

1

 

14

 

South Yorkshire Police

1

 

 

1

 

 

 

2

 

Staffordshire Police

4

4

3

12

 

1

 

24

 

Suffolk Constabulary

1

 

 

 

 

1

 

2

 

Surrey Police

 

 

1

1

 

 

 

2

 

Sussex Police

4

 

 

10

1

3

 

18

 

Thames Valley Police

 

2

 

1

 

 

 

3

 

Warwickshire Police