Cumbria police welcome £8 million stun gun plan
Last updated at 12:46, Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Cumbria's Police Federation has welcomed Government proposals to invest £8 million in tasers.
Around 10,000 more of the weapons are to be deployed by police forces nationwide after an announcement by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith yesterday.
And while the weapons, which stun their targets using a 50,000-volt electric shock, are rarely used in Cumbria, the county’s Police Federation secretary Ian Poultney said they were of real benefit to officers.
He said: “When officers engage with somebody, the device has a red dot and when that hits the person they realise it is on them – on a lot of occasions that is enough to make people compliant.
“They provide support to front-line officers, and Cumbria Police Federation is very happy with this news.”
Cumbria’s Assistant Chief Constable Graham Sunderland said: “Of the 300 occasions since October 2007 that the taser has been authorised in Cumbria, it has only been fired six times with no significant injury caused or complaint received.
"Work is being undertaken to ensure the way in which the force uses the taser remains legitimate, proportionate, and compatible with the rights of all persons, including constabulary employees.
“Ultimately, we believe that tasers reduce the risk to officers, offenders and members of the public.”
The £8 million will see 30,000 officers around the country getting the weapons. They will receive two days’ intensive training before being armed with tasers.
Mr Poultney added: “It is mainly our armed response unit officers that have them, but this roll-out will make tasers more widely available for patrols.”
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: “I am proud that we have one of the few police services around the world that do not regularly carry firearms.
“But every day the police put themselves in danger to protect the public, so I want to give the police the tools they tell me they need to confront dangerous people.”
First published at 11:25, Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk
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how can it possibly make the streets safer!! having a policeman equipped with a tazer is not going to put your mindless drunk from committing a nuisance is it. all it will do is end up having countless people zapped, some with pacemakers who could then die from it.
you are the sort of people who would give unlimited power to the police and bring in id cards "SHOW ME YOUR PAPERS"
think about your liberties that were so fought for throughout the years.
This government wants to turn us into a police state.
stand up for your freedoms and don't be cowed by authority. You are all becoming sheep!
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http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=05vuY-kqp9o
HEY EVERYONE PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS ITEM FROM YOU-TUBE - ABOUT THE CANADIAN WHO WAS ZAPPED TO DEATH AT VANCOUVER AIRPORT.
IT MAKES AWFUL VIEWING.
Posted by simon on 28 November 2008 at 13:37