ACPO comment on police use of Taser

ACPO lead for Taser, Assistant Chief Constable Simon Chesterman, said:

“Police officers can only use as much force as is reasonable in the circumstances and officers deploying Taser must justify its use. Each and every use of Taser is reported to the Home Office which enables ACPO, the NPIA and the Home Office's Centre for Applied Science and Technology to monitor its appropriate use.

"Taser has been shown to be an effective tactical option for use against individuals who are offering such violence that force is necessary to protect the public, police officers or the individual themselves. In recent years, more officers have been trained to be able to use Taser as, in the majority of cases where it is deployed, the incident is resolved without the device being discharged.

“The medical implications associated with Taser are closely monitored by an independent panel of medical advisers who also look at learning from across the world. This monitoring shows that risks associated with Taser are largely secondary, as a result of falling, rather than the electricity conducted through the device.

"While these figures suggest an increase in the use of Taser by police officers, we await official figures from the Home Office."

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