BROWN: TASERS ARE POLICY DECISION WHICH SHOULD BE DEBATED IN PARLIAMENT

12.00.00am GMT Mon 8th Feb 2010

Glasgow MSP Robert Brown has serious concerns about the proposed taser pilot scheme being taken forward in the Strathclyde area and feels that this is a policy decision to be taken by the Scottish Government. Under the pilot scheme, tasers are to be issued to selected police officers in two areas in Strathclyde following only 3 days training. Up till now, tasers have been available only to trained firearm officers as a less lethal alternative to the use of firearms by the police.

In a Parliamentary motion lodged today, Mr. Brown says the decision to issue police officers in Strathclyde with Tasers should be debated by Parliament.

Commenting, Mr. Brown said:

"Tasers are a considerable policy issue for the Scottish Government, not just an operational matter for Chief Constables. It is of vital importance that the Justice Secretary takes control of the policy.

"Britain prides itself on being a country with an unarmed police force, which has good relationships with the communities it serves.

"This principle should not be lightly breached.

"We all know that pilot schemes are designed to be followed through with full roll out. But before there is a suggestion of a full roll out, we require an independent expert evaluation of any claimed advantages.

"I am also worried by the lack of training officers will receive before being given a Taser. Three days is nowhere near enough time, especially when firearms officers need at least 8 weeks of training before they are given a gun."

Ends.

Notes to Editors

Robert Brown's Parliamentary motion is below:

Strathclyde Taser pilot

That the Parliament is concerned by the decision of the Chief Constable of Strathclyde to issue tasers to 30 frontline police officers following a three day training course; notes the considerable concerns about the safety of tasers raised by Amnesty International; further notes that at present tasers are only issued to specially trained, authorised firearms officers as an additional less lethal option to conventional firearms; recognises that in order to become an authorised firearms officer a police officer must be selected and trained in order to reach the required level of competency in weapon handling, tactical knowledge, shooting skills and judgment and is thereafter subject to refresher training and re-qualification; further notes that, when a similar pilot took place within 10 police forces in England and Wales in 2007-08, tasers were used by officers 661 times within a year, and that they were used on children 34 times during this period; recognises that it was the Home Secretary that signed off on issuing tasers to more frontline police officers following that pilot; believes that three days of training is not sufficient for officers with no previous training or experience of handling firearms; and further believes that extending the use of tasers beyond firearms officers represents a shift in policy, not an operation decision, which requires Ministerial sanction following independent evaluation and debate in the Parliament.