Taser pilot rolled out for city cops

Tuesday 20 April 2010

Taser pilot rolled out for city cops

A controversial pilot scheme which will see Glasgow’s beat officers armed with Tasers was launched today.

Specially-selected officers with Strathclyde Police were issued with the powerful stun guns.

The weapons will be used by teams in Glasgow city centre and Rutherglen from today.

And the pilot launch comes just one week on after the Evening Times reported it had been delayed after an original start date of last Tuesday. Last week’s delay was due to operational matters. A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police said: “It is crucial to the pilot project that the best possible evaluation group is in place with representation from other partner agencies. “There has been a delay in identifying the individuals who will undertake this and it was felt that it would not be in the interest of the public, our officers or the evaluation process to allow a pilot project to commence without this in place.” The move to issue officers on the beat with Tasers comes after it was reported that around 4000 officers have been assaulted each year over the last four years. If the pilot scheme is successful the stun guns will be introduced to all 29 sub-divisions in the Strathclyde force area. Around three officers per shift will carry the Tasers during the six-month trial. The weapons have caused controversy since they were first introduced by Strathclyde Police in September 2005. Ahead of the launch, John Watson, director of Amnesty International’s Scotland Programme, said: “This is a particularly concerning move on the part of Strathclyde Police. Tasers are potentially lethal weapons which cause excruciating pain.” Should city police carry Taser stun guns as routine equipment?

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