300 more stun-guns issued to police

Greater Manchester Police are to receive 300 more US-style stun guns, the Government announced yesterday.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said the 6,000 nationwide roll-out programme, which sees the use of Tasers extended beyond dedicated firearms officers to specially- trained police response officers, followed a successful trial in 10 forces.

Tasers look like a fluorescent pistol and use compressed air to fire two darts that trail an electric cable back to the handset. When the darts strike, a five-second 50,000-volt charge is released down the cable, causing the suspect’s muscles to contract uncontrollably.

Ms Smith said: “Every day the police put themselves in danger to protect the public.

“They deserve our support, so I want to give the police the tools they tell me they need to confront dangerous people. That is why I have given every police force the number of Tasers they have requested.”

Ministers say tasers are safer for the police and for the public and evidence has shown in situations where it was feared someone would be killed or injured, Tasers helped resolve the situation without injury. Latest available figures show the weapon has been used 32 times between 2004 and 2008 by GMP Police. Often placing the dot on a target is enough with police not actually firing the weapon.

Derek Talbot, Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) spokesman on Tasers said: “The trial showed that Taser use is a proportionate, low-risk means of resolving incidents where the public or officers face severe violence or the threat of such violence which cannot safely be dealt with by other means.”

Additional funding for 10,000 Tasers was made available to support the extension and police forces were asked to bid to the Home Office for the number of Tasers they required.