Police use Taser stun guns on 13 targets

Paul Whitehouse

POLICE in South Yorkshire have discharged their electronic Taser stun guns on 13 occasions since they were introduced five years ago, figures have revealed.

There were another 24 occasions where the red dot sights were aimed at potential targets, meaning officers were ready to use the weapon. On one further occasion the weapon was arced, meaning the effect of the electric current used to disable the target could be seen.

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Increasing numbers of officers across the country are being trained to use the Tasers, which were initially issued only to firearms officers, but the number of incidents where they were deployed went down slightly last year, with 146 incidents compared to 152 the previous year.

A police report states: “When reviewing these deployments, which have all concluded without injury to anyone, it is apparent that in many of the cases, officers and the subjects would have sustained some degree of injury.

“There is also anecdotal evidence that the mere presence of Taser officers has diffused potentially violent situations.”

Senior officers believe the “robust approach” taken by South Yorkshire Police to the selection and training of officers authorised to use Tasers has helped to maximise the benefits of the devices.

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Officers have to complete a three-day training programme before being authorised to use Tasers and are then given a permit, which can be withdrawn at any time. They must also undergo refresher courses every 12 months.

Authorisation to use a Taser is normally given by a senior officers, but users can take the decision themselves in circumstances where there is no opportunity to seek permission.

It is expected that by April this year there will be around 200 officers across the county, in addition to firearms staff, authorised to use Tasers.