Taser discharges increase as more trained officers have the authority to use them
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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 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...Request free trial
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 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 http://science.homeoffice.gov.uk/hosdb/about-us/news/5393492. 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 D'charges Drive Arced Red Aimed Drawn Not Total - Dot Stated Used stuns Avon and 13 1 7 18 2 12 53 Somerset Constabulary Bedfordshire 13 1 1 6 2 1 24 Police Cambridgeshire 3 40 3 6 52 Constabulary Cheshire 9 3 7 1 2 22 Constabulary City of London 3 3 Police Cleveland Police 28 1 36 6 71 Cumbria 3 1 2 21 1 2 1 31 Constabulary Derbyshire 4 24 1 2 31 Constabulary Devon and 15 2 2 13 1 33 Cornwall Constabulary Dorset Police 18 3 3 23 1 7 55 Durham 24 1 42 67 Constabulary Dyfed - Powys 2 3 1 1 7 Police Essex Police 9 1 4 1 15 Gloucestershire 17 21 38 Constabulary Greater 14 6 11 1 32 Manchester Police Gwent Police 5 1 18 1 2 27 Hampshire 11 2 1 14 Constabulary Hertfordshire 16 2 2 16 6 42 Constabulary Humberside 11 1 7 45 3 2 69 Police Kent Police 2 6 4 12 Lancashire 32 4 1 33 1 4 75 Constabulary Leicestershire 9 1 9 4 1 24 Constabulary Lincolnshire 8 2 1 8 1 3 23 Police Merseyside 15 1 1 23 10 6 56 Police Metropolitan 155 35 8 79 10 38 3 328 Police Norfolk 13 1 5 19 Constabulary North Wales 24 4 2 61 5 4 100 Police North Yorkshire 6 2 1 20 2 4 35 Police Northamptonshire 5 1 6 3 15 Police Northumbria 20 1 1 127 9 47 1 206 Police Nottinghamshire 5 4 9 Police South Wales 15 8 2 1 26 Police South Yorkshire 2 1 3 Police Staffordshire 8 4 5 54 7 4 1 83 Police Suffolk 10 1 3 2 16 Constabulary Surrey Police 1 1 2 3 7 Sussex Police 10 1 24 1 4 40 Thames Valley 6 2 6 1 15 Police Warwickshire Police West Mercia 16 3 1 21 1 1 43 Constabulary West Midlands 40 3 1 35 79 Police West Yorkshire 55 6 8 61 3 3 1 137 Police Wiltshire 12 4 1 17 Constabulary 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 2 - TASER use by authorised firearms officers outside of a firearms authority from 20 July 2007 to 29 February 2008 Usage Details Force D'charges Drive Arced Red Aimed Drawn Not Total - Dot Stated Used stuns Avon and 6 5 9 2 5 27 Somerset Constabulary Bedfordshire 1 2 3 Police Cambridgeshire 1 17 5 23 Constabulary Cheshire 3 1 2 6 Constabulary City of London 1 1 Police Cleveland Police 4 4 Cumbria 1 1 1 12 1 16 Constabulary Derbyshire 3 10 1 2 16 Constabulary Devon and 3 2 1 3 9 Cornwall Constabulary Dorset Police 3 1 4 Durham 1 1 Constabulary Dyfed - Powys 1 1 Police Essex Police 3 3 Gloucestershire 5 10 15 Constabulary Greater 1 3 4 Manchester Police Gwent Police 3 2 5 Hampshire Constabulary Hertfordshire 3 1 2 5 2 13 Constabulary Humberside 6 2 17 2 27 Police Kent Police 5 4 9 Lancashire 14 3 1 12 4 34 Constabulary Leicestershire 6 1 4 2 1 14 Constabulary Lincolnshire 1 2 4 3 10 Police Merseyside 3 5 8 Police Metropolitan 2 2 1 1 6 Police Service Norfolk 6 1 7 Constabulary North Wales 3 2 5 2 12 Police North Yorkshire 4 2 10 4 20 Police Northamptonshire 1 1 2 4 Police Northumbria 5 1 2 8 Police Nottinghamshire 4 4 Police South Wales 6 5 2 1 14 Police South Yorkshire 1 1 2 Police Staffordshire 4 4 3 12 1 24 Police Suffolk 1 1 2 Constabulary Surrey Police 1 1 2 Sussex Police 4 10 1 3 18 Thames Valley 2 1 3 Police Warwickshire Police West Mercia 11 3 1 13 1 29 Constabulary West Midlands 1 1 Police West Yorkshire 14 1 2 13 2 32 Police Wiltshire 8 3 1 12 Constabulary Totals 124 29 23 214 11 52 0 453 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 3 - TASER use by specially trained units in the first 6 months in the ten trial forces' areas from 1 September 2007 to 29 February 2008 Usage Details Force D'charges Drive Arced Red Aimed Drawn Not Total stuns Dot Stated Used Avon and 1 1 3 6 11 Somerset Constabulary Devon and 7 1 8 Cornwall Constabulary Gwent Police 1 5 6 Lincolnshire Police Merseyside 1 1 Police Metropolitan 7 1 6 41 5 30 90 Police Service North Wales 6 1 5 12 Police Northamptonshire 1 1 2 Police Northumbria 15 1 1 66 5 34 122 Police West Yorkshire Police Totals 31 4 7 127 12 71 0 252 NB: Only the highest level of 'use' for each TASER deployment is recorded. STU = Specially Trained Units 'Use' as defined by ACPO: TASER Operational Guidance July 2007 policy section 6.6.3 |