Bexley police to get tasers next month
10:16am Friday 26th October 2012 in News By Tim MacFarlan, Bexley and north Kent reporter
Forty regular Bexley Police officers will be taser-ready next month.
BEXLEY police will have a sparky new tool in their kit box next month.
Forty officers are being trained in the use of tasers; electroshock devices used to incapacitate violent offenders with a burst of electric current.
Four of the devices, with two in each equipped vehicle, will be available in the borough at any one time to deal with violent incidents.
A Bexley police spokesman said they would be a useful option for officers in dangerous situations.
He said: "Crime in Bexley has seen 10 years of reductions and the rollout of tasers will provide officers with an additional tactical option to deal with violence.
"Bexley borough is working to launch the carrying of tasers by our response team officers by November 26."
He added: "Taser use has a number of benefits and prevents violent incidents from escalating.
"Around 80 per cent of taser incidents do not involve discharge; just drawing it is enough to diffuse the situation.
"It is often less harmful to offenders than striking them with a baton or using CS spray."
Tasers have been used by the Met since 2003 but only in the hands of specialist units like special firearms unit SC019 and the Territorial Support Group.
Because outer London boroughs are not as regularly patrolled by these units, regular officers in these areas have been the first in London to use them.
Neighbouring Bromley and other outer London boroughs including Harrow, Enfield and Kingston got theirs before the Olympics in July.
By that month the Met had 3,275 officers authorised to use the tasers which omit a 50,000 volt pulse causing strong involuntary muscle contractions.
Comments(14)
ChinaLouise
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11:31am Fri 26 Oct 12
SimplyBen
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11:54am Fri 26 Oct 12
Guess who ;) AGAIN !
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12:06pm Fri 26 Oct 12
handymanchris
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12:34pm Fri 26 Oct 12
ChinaLouise wrote:Times change and so does the law. Stop living in the past and get with the times.
It seems officers no longer serve and protect (operate under oath). Common laws which the Queen swore an oath to protect, no longer matter, it would seem. Police are no longer competent to be carrying a weapon like this, which was only ever introduced to replace where a handgun would have been drawn. This is disgraceful. Last week, an incompetent officer tasered a blind man. What this country has come to is disgusting. Whatever happened to protecting the laws of this realm? You are a foreign force operating Roman Civil Law - about time it stops.
No doubt if you was in a situation and police tasered a violent person trying to harm you im sure you would not be moaning.
PaulErith
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2:06pm Fri 26 Oct 12
ChinaLouise wrote:Don't agree. What is a disgrace is the lawlessness and the fact that people literally get away with murder. All for the police having more powers and weapons. Even without there will always a rouge element in any organisation that has power, i.e. police, government, etc. However, the odd case of tassering a blind man doesn't necessary mean that tasers are bad.
It seems officers no longer serve and protect (operate under oath). Common laws which the Queen swore an oath to protect, no longer matter, it would seem. Police are no longer competent to be carrying a weapon like this, which was only ever introduced to replace where a handgun would have been drawn. This is disgraceful. Last week, an incompetent officer tasered a blind man. What this country has come to is disgusting. Whatever happened to protecting the laws of this realm? You are a foreign force operating Roman Civil Law - about time it stops.
joertmclark
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2:55pm Fri 26 Oct 12
neonis
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3:25pm Fri 26 Oct 12
Familyguy321
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3:48pm Fri 26 Oct 12
i for one dont want to touch another human being but sometimes have to because of my job and this is only because the power of conversation has failed. all too often im told to F**k off and you cant nick me. so when the conversation has degenerated to that level ( which is on that persons part, because nicking someone takes ages ) we have to use force. whatever form that may be.
to finish off. when force is used it is a spilt second human decision. (and human mistakes do get made) the luxury of this sort of debate when time can be taken about what to or not to do doesnt exist.
ive found knives on people, have been threatend with knives and had people threatening knives on themselves. a taser would have been useful. not in all but some. and i think youll find knives have killed more people than tasers
Oldchap
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8:28pm Fri 26 Oct 12
I'd fully support the use where circumstances justify, but I'm concerned they may be used as first choice rather than last resort
bexleyman
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8:43pm Fri 26 Oct 12
ron.1952
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12:37pm Sun 28 Oct 12
Tase away boys and girls.
Ronny.
handymanchris
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2:15pm Sun 28 Oct 12
bexleyman wrote:yes because all police officers arrest on a whim! You dont just arrest people without grounds to do so.
We recently saw an unfortunate incident in which an officer arrested a black man on a whim in Sidcup High Street for burglary. The offender he was looking for was white of course but we will forget that hiccup. Roll out the Tasers for our fine, fine, competent officers...
the_lunatic_is_in_my_head
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1:02pm Thu 1 Nov 12
The main aim isn't to have a lawful society, it's to have one which can not break any imposed law which is very different indeed.
highway warrior says...
10:26am Fri 26 Oct 12