Latest figures on Taser use show more uses but fewer discharges

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Operations, Chief Constable Alec Wood said:

“Today’s statistics show that while overall use of Taser has increased the number of actual discharges has fallen for the third year running. While more officers are equipped with Taser, in eight out of ten cases their training and judgement enables them to bring a potentially violent incident to a swift and safe conclusion without actually firing the device.

“From April this year, the police service will be collecting national data on all use of force, including Taser, which will published in 2018. The publication of these statistics demonstrates our commitment to transparency and open engagement with the public to reassure people that police officers use force proportionately and responsibly.”

The NPCC publishes a lengthy Q&A on Taser which can be found here: http://www.npcc.police.uk/ThePoliceChiefsBlog/NPCCQuestionsandAnswersonTaser.aspx 

The latest Home Office figures can be found here.