What British statistics and research tell us

Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently called on police to take “all necessary action” in response to unrest in several towns and cities in England and Northern Ireland.

One of the most controversial police tools is the taser – an energy-transmitting device that temporarily incapacitates people with an electric shock.

A bright yellow, handheld taser can be used in two ways: by direct contact or by firing it remotely. The device’s probes are designed to penetrate a person’s clothing and skin and deliver an electrical charge intended to deescalate potentially dangerous situations.

Tasers were first introduced into UK police in 2003 to bridge the gap between the use of sprays and firearms when dealing with serious and violent incidents. Initially, the use of Tasers was restricted to trained firearms officers, but in 2008 it was expanded so that all officers could receive specialist training in their use.

By 2019, 14% of officers in England and Wales had been trained to carry and use Tasers. And by 2023, 22% of Metropolitan Police officers had been trained to carry and use such devices.

Since 2019, police cadets have been allowed to carry tasers following a recommendation from the National Police Chiefs’ Council. The council acknowledged that police cadets face the same risks as fully trained colleagues, already carry batons and pepper spray, and make up a significant proportion of frontline police officers.

The most recently published statistics show that between April 2022 and March 2023, Tasers were used (including being drawn and pointed at a person) 33,531 times in England and Wales and actually fired 2,978 times. This is a decrease from 2021 to 2022, when Tasers were used 34,276 times and fired 3,212 times.

In Scotland, only specially trained officers are allowed to use Tasers. Between 2018 and 2021, they were used in 782 incidents in Scotland. The human rights organization Amnesty criticized the Northern Ireland police earlier this year for their increased use of force, including a 40 percent increase in the use of Tasers.

Guidelines for the use of Tasers by police in England and Wales are issued by the College of Policing. They state that they should only be used as a proportionate response to an identified threat. Officers should give the clear verbal warning “Taser, Taser” and, if circumstances allow, make the device visible before firing.

Police most often use tasers when there is a need to protect themselves or others, or when there is a need to possess a weapon, use drugs, or protect themselves or others. But age and gender also play a role. People between the ages of 18 and 34 are most likely to be tasered, while women are 80% less likely to be tasered.

However, the data on Tasers and race are inconsistent. Some studies have found that Tasers were used twice as often on non-white people as on white people, while other studies found no significant association.

What does the public think?

Public support for police use of Tasers is strong. A 2016 poll of more than 9,000 people found that 79% supported the idea of ​​equipping more officers with Tasers. A 2019 poll of more than 4,000 people found that 66% would feel safer if every officer in their community carried a Taser, and 69% trusted police to use them responsibly.

A YouGov poll conducted during the unrest this summer found that 75 percent of Britons believe Tasers should be used in such situations. Among police, support for wider use of Tasers is even stronger – 90 percent of over 8,000 officers surveyed in 2016 agreed that more of their colleagues should be equipped with the device.

However, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) warns that the use of Tasers can significantly undermine public confidence in the police, partly due to misunderstandings about how and when Tasers are used. The IOPC points to a gap between public expectations and the actual situations in which Tasers are used, particularly when vulnerable people are involved.

Concerns about the use of tasers

Tasers can cause pain and neuromuscular paralysis, causing the person to become stiff and collapse and unable to control their movements. This sudden loss of control can result in injury.

In addition, the probes that penetrate the skin pose a risk of infection and can potentially transmit disease. In rare cases, tasers can ignite flammable clothing and cause burns. There is also a risk of cardiac arrest and even death.

Although the purpose of Tasers is to de-escalate threats or temporarily incapacitate people, the IOPC has investigated cases where the effects of the Tasers lasted for an extended period of time.

Mental health issues or acute behavioral problems are often present when a Taser is fired for 20 seconds or more. Research shows that people with mental health issues are 80% more likely to be a Taser victim.

Police have also used Tasers on children. Between 2022 and 2023, there were more than 3,000 cases involving 11- to 17-year-olds in England and Wales. In 88 of these cases, the weapon was actually fired.

During the same period, Tasers were aimed at six children under the age of 11. While the use of Tasers is often associated with the possession of a weapon, the Children’s Rights Alliance for England has called for a ban on the use of the device against children.

Tasers are considered a safer use of force for police officers and those involved, as they cause fewer injuries than dogs, batons, physical force or spray. However, some high-profile cases – such as that of a pregnant woman in South Wales who suffered a miscarriage just days after a Taser was used – have shown that significant risks remain.

The IOPC’s 17 recommendations from its 2021 inquiry highlight the need for improved training and guidance, increased oversight and monitoring, and greater community engagement.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.