News

Thursday, December 16th 2021 

According to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the use of tasers by police risks losing its legitimacy in the eyes of the public if community concerns are not addressed through improvements to national guidance, training and scrutiny of when they are deployed. The warning, issued in August, followed 101 investigations undertaken into the use of tasers between 2015 and 2020. The report but the IOPC showed that tasers were used disproportionately against people from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic backgrounds, and significantly against people under 18. Perhaps most concerning from the IOPC’s investigation, were 26 investigations that found that an officer may have behaved in a manner that would justify bringing disciplinary proceedings or a referral to the Crown Prosecution Service; while four inquests found the use of Taser in combination with other factors contributed to, or were relevant in, a person’s death. A recent Home Office report showed that in the year to March 2020, tasers were discharged in 32,000 incidents – 37% higher than the previous year, reflecting a general pattern of the increasing use of tasers by police.

Tasers have been used by the police since 2003, at first just by firearms officers, but then for all trained officers since 2008. To be issued with a taser, an officer must have completed 18 hours of training over a period of three days, plus six hours of training each year thereafter. The College of Policing also sets out the conditions under which the deployment of tasers is deemed reasonable. Following the change of government in 2019, the new Home Secretary committed to a £10 million funding pot to enable Chief Constables to equip every single officer with a Taser, should they wish to do so. The Home Secretary also approved the Taser 7 – a more accurate, faster and compact device than previous models – under the auspices of protecting the police and the public.

As part of the IOPC’s investigations and consultations with relevant stakeholders and community groups, the IOPC made 17 recommendations – to the College of Policing, the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, and the Home Office –  seeking improvements to national guidance and training; scrutiny and monitoring of Taser use; and data and research. The IOPC also stressed the need for community engagement to ensure that the use of tasers continues to have the support of the community, building upon the notion of ‘policing by consent’. Beyond the IOPC review, the use of tasers by police remains controversial. In 2016, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child renewed its previous call in 2008 for a prohibition on the use of the Taser against children. A review of taser use by the Independent Police Complaints Commission in 2014 warned against use of the weapon on the basis of its availability rather than of its necessity. The IPCC was particularly troubled by Taser use in the controlled setting of custody suites.

This symposium will give police forces, local authorities, policy makers, charities and other interest groups the opportunity to analyse the mounting challenges associated with the use of tasers and discuss best practice in improving accountability, building trust with communities and keeping both police and the public safe.

Programme

• Develop strategies to improve the use of tasers by police to ensure that they are used reasonably and effectively
• Consider the recommendations made by the IOPC and discuss the potential for future reforms of the use of tasers
• Discuss the introduction of the Taser 7 model and the Home Office’s funding of greater access to taser
• Examine the disproportionate use of tasers on people from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic backgrounds
• Explore methods to improve community engagement and ensure that the use of tasers continues to have the consent and confidence of the public
• Analyse the increase int he use of tasers and understand the reasons behind it
• Understand the existing police complaints system and look at how this can be improved to ensure greater accountability and transparency
• Look at alternatives to the use of tasers in policing
• Learn about the long term effects of the use of tasers on those subjected to them, including medical implications

To register for the briefing, please click here.