More East Cambs officers to be trained to use tasers

MORE police officers will be able to use taser to help them deal with violent and unstable offenders, Cambridgeshire police has announced.

Specialist training will be provided to 120 extra officers, increasing the number of firearms officers allowed to carry a taser from 55 to 175.

Twelve of the specially trained officers will be based in East Cambridgeshire.

The additional officers, from local policing, the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) team and the Tactical Team will begin to carry them out on the streets.

Nick Church, chief inspector and lead officer on taser, said that they were an effective way of diffusing potentially violent situations.

“Extending the use of taser across the force will enhance the safety of both the public and officers,” he said. “The threat of using taser, where a red dot appears on the person’s torso, is often enough to quieten an offender so they can be dealt with without injury to them, officers or members of the public.

“Our officers have to deal with violent, often unstable, offenders and this simple device is one of a number of tactical options officers can use when there is a threat to a member of public or an officer.”

The officers have had to complete a three-and-a-half day course and pass a national eye test in order to be allowed to carry the weapons on the county’s streets.

Since January 2012, tasers have been carried by officers 432 times in the county, aimed 37 times and discharged three times.

It is estimated that the roll out of taser will cost the force £62,000 this year.