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See other news storiesFigures on the Police use of Taser in England and Wales
24 November 2008
Taser has been available to all authorised firearms officers since September 2004 as a less lethal option for use in situations where a firearms authority has been granted in accordance with criteria laid down in the Association of Chief Police Officers Manual of Guidance on Police Use of Firearms.
On 20 July 2007, the Home Secretary gave approval for chief officers throughout England and Wales to deploy Taser by authorised firearms officers. It was to be used in operations or incidents where the use of firearms is not authorised but where officers are facing violence or threats of violence of such severity that they would need to use force to protect the public, themselves and or the subject.
Approval was also given for a 12-month trial of the deployment of Taser by specially trained units who are not firearms officers in similar circumstances. The trial began on 1 September 2007 involving 10 forces.
HOSDB has been collating the figures on the use of Taser by all forces in England and Wales and has broken down the figures to show their use under the various authorities mentioned above. Publication of these figures is in line with the government’s rigorous and measured approach to extending the use of Taser and to subject the trial to a full and thorough evaluation.
The final figures were published on 24 November. The figures for March May and August are also available.
Read the Ministerial Statement of 18 March 2008 for more information from the Home Secretary on Taser use.
