Taser usage and its diversity implications

Report: 9b
Date: 25 October 2007
By: DAC Territorial Policing on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report is a response to the request by COP for further detail surrounding Taser usage and its diversity implications. A comprehensive index of Taser usage by the MPS since the inception of the Home Office pilot in April 2003 was circulated for the COP meeting of 27 September 2007. For ease of reference, this is attached at Appendix 1 (now exempt). A system to record both the officer- defined and self-defined ethnicity of those involved in Taser incidents has been instituted. Records have been re-assessed to the beginning of 2006. The disproportionality of Taser usage is significant and discussed in the body of this report.

A. Recommendations

That:

1. members note the contents of this report; and

2. advise on the most appropriate means for working with the MPS and monitoring Taser usage. The Equalities and Diversity Board is one suggested mechanism.

B. Supporting information

The MPS and the use of Taser

1. The police use of firearms within communities has the potential to be highly disruptive and damaging to community relationships. However, the use of Taser as a less lethal option has greatly assisted with the safe resolution of a substantial number of dangerous incidents without the need to resort to conventional firearms.

2. Historically, the MPS was one of the five UK forces to take part in the original Home Office pilot beginning in April 2003. During the initial period of 12 months, only officers of the Specialist Firearms Command (CO19) had access to the equipment. Latterly, its availability was extended to authorised firearms officers (AFOs) from the Diplomatic Protection Group (CO6) and Aviation Security (CO18), and in April 2006, further extended in these OCUs and to AFOs from the following MPS armed commands

• Royalty Protection
• 1TSG
• Belmarsh Security
• Flying Squad

Health implications of Taser usage

3. These have been outlined in detail in COP paper 4 of 9 June 2006, and updated in COP paper 8 of 27 September 2007.

4. The Home Office Scientific Development Branch has continued to monitor Taser usage, and no further health risks have been highlighted since these reports.

5. The MPS continues to closely monitor the nature of the injuries associated with apprehensions involving the use of Taser, including national and international trends and developments

6. As part of their training, AFOs receive a specific 'Aftercare' element in relation to the use of Taser, including instruction regarding:

• Subject reassurance
• Subject monitoring
• Barb removal (when and when not appropriate)
• Wire removal
• Dealing with Subjects in police cells
• When to seek medical assistance

Monitoring and learning from deployments

7. Taser discharges are no longer routinely referred to the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS). Only if the discharge results in death or serious injury, or danger to the public, or reveals failings in command, would the matter be referred to the IPCC. However, the MPS continues to assess the deployment of Taser in detail, and the guidelines for IPCC referral do not preclude forces referring discharges if they consider it appropriate.

8. The feedback processes to ensure that lessons are learned from the deployment of Taser include:

• Post operation debriefs,
• All uses of Taser are reported by means of an ACPO sponsored discharge-evaluation form supported by an FME report,
• An MPS database is managed by the Firearms Policy Unit (FPU) and incorporates age, sex, ethnicity, type of discharge, location, reasons for deployment and injury (if any) sustained,
• The FPU capture and record details of all debriefs of Authorised (pre-planned) operations which again capture any safety critical issues. These will be disseminated by the FPU,
• Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) review in accordance with guidelines at paragraph 18,
• Defects or suspected defects in Taser or cartridges are forwarded via the FPU to HOSDB,
• MPS Near-Miss forms have been specifically amended to incorporate firearms related issues, and capture Taser safety critical information. This information is fed back to the FPU, and H & S Branch (HR5),
• All unintentional discharges are reported to the FPU and monitored for the emergence of any safety critical trends.

9. Where issues are identified, they are disseminated by the FPU. Tactical developments for operational usage and their practical dissemination is the responsibility of CO19 firearms training. As lessons are learned, these are fed into initial firearms training courses as well as refresher and re-qualification sessions.

10. Since 21 April 2003, there have been in excess of 226 incidents where Taser has been deployed to assist in the safe detention and restraint of the individual concerned. To date, eight complaints have been received, and only three of these relate directly to the use of Taser.

Deployments of Taser

11. The Firearms Policy Unit maintains the MPS database of Taser deployments. MPS usage is shown in Appendix 1 (now exempt).

12. The year to date data (29.8.07 – 47 incidents) compared to the same period in 2006 (45 incidents) shows the overall level of Taser incidents as remaining steady at the present time.

C. Race and equality impact

1. The MPS recognises the importance of monitoring all aspects of Taser usage. An officer-defined assessment of ethnicity is made at the time of the incident, and to complement this process, the Firearms Policy Unit has initiated a follow-up through custody records to monitor self-defined ethnicity, and also begun a process of back record conversion.

2. Comparative analysis of Taser usage has been conducted for the post-pilot period years 2005, 2006 and 2007 (to 31.8.07) respectively.

Gender

3. Overall, the overwhelming majority of subjects involved in Taser incidents are males (over 96%). So far in 2007, only one female subject has been involved from a total of 46 incidents.

Age

4. Most subjects are in the age range 18 - 45 years (90%). Between 2005 and 2007 (to date), six U18s (4%) and 10 subjects over 45 years (6%) have been involved in Taser incidents. So far in 2007, there have been no incidents recorded involving persons over the age of 45.

5. The youngest people to be involved in Taser incidents have been 16 years of age (9.3.05 and 7.2.0) respectively). The oldest subjects in the years 2005 – 2007 have both been 55 years of age (17.6.05 and 11.4.06 respectively).

6. One of the challenges of the present trend in violent crime is the increasing representation of young people in gun crime related incidents. The MPS and the MPA are cognisant of this trend and CO19 will be monitoring the picture closely for any changing patterns. However, since April 2003, only seven people under the age of 18 have been involved in Taser incidents (10.4.04, 9.3.05, 5.7.05, 18.11.06, 7.2.07, 8.2.07, 20.7.07 respectively).

7. Whatever a person’s age, officers have to deal with, make judgements, and deploy proportionate responses to the danger presented by the individual to members of the public, the individual themselves, and the officers concerned.

8. Since 21 April 2003, the oldest subject recorded was 69 years of age (28.12.04), a male threatening suicide.

Disability

9. Disability is not specifically monitored in relation to the use of Taser. Exploration as to the most appropriate means of addressing this gap forms part of the basis for Recommendation 2 of this report.

Special Population Groups

10. Authorised Firearms Officers do receive training in relation to members of the population who do not behave in an expected manner. This can be in the form of psychiatric illness (but can include the use of drugs or alcohol). This awareness of a person’s response to police requests and commands also extends to persons who may not comprehend police instructions due to deafness or where English is not the person’s first language.

11. Officers are assessed as to their conduct ‘in Operations while Armed’, under the headings of: gathering information, communication with the subject, and handling subjects.

12. CO19 lessons include specific teaching in the following relevant areas:

• Confrontation handling
• Awareness of other people's non-verbal communication
• Threat Assessment
• Subject behaviour
• Drugs/Unpredictable behaviour
• Surrender
• Vulnerable Persons/Special Population Groups

13. Negotiation training is an essential element to assist in building rapport and opening up lines of communication. Once taught, officers are expected to demonstrate their learning throughout practical exercises and final assessment.

14. All affirmative references in Appendix 1 (now exempt), were incidents approached by the firearms officers as potentially involving the member of a Special Population Group. Overall, between 2005 and 2007 (to date), this has amounted to 21% of Taser incidents.

Ethnicity

15. Appendix 1 (now exempt) captures a significant amount of information, and the broad trends are reflected in Appendix 2.

16. Although involving a comparatively small number of incidents, across the years 2005 – 2007, in terms of total Taser incidents, it is apparent that Taser is deployed against an increasing percentage of people from officer-defined black or minority ethnic origins (47% in 2005 rising to 72% in 2007).

17. Shadowing this trend is a parallel increase in the use of Taser in the course of authorised firearms operations. In 2007, 20 or 83% of authorised firearms operations that included a Taser incident were recorded as involving black or minority ethnic individuals.

18. Whilst the numbers recorded are low, there would appear to be a clear shift in 2007 in the make up of total Taser incidents – towards persons detained in the course of an authorised firearms operations as opposed to in the course of spontaneous incidents.

19. We know that that since April 2007, CO19 have supported Operation Trident in over 249 armed operations, in the course of which 306 people have been arrested. Taser, however, has only been used on 4 occasions (25.4.07, 4.5.07, 9.7.07, and 24.7.07 respectively). Such context could well be significant in further explaining the balance of Taser usage. Further analysis and data collection requirements are necessary, and the active involvement and co-operation of the Police Authority in driving this work forward with CO19 forms the basis of Recommendation 2 of this Report.

Community engagement

20. Since 2006, CO19 has embarked on a series of workshops aimed at developing understanding and support for armed policing, and receiving feedback, with community groups and representatives, opinion formers, stakeholders, local and national media. This initiative is ongoing, but to date audiences have included:

• MPA
• GLA
• Chairs of CPCGs
• Muslim Safety Forum
• MPS IAG
• Operation Trident IAG
• Local CPCGs
• TV, radio, local and national correspondents
• IPCC

21. Whilst these workshops concentrate on the decisions that armed officers have to make on whether or not to use potentially lethal force, the tactical options available to them, including Taser, are discussed. CO19 are now considering how best a more detailed explanation of the use of Taser could be incorporated into these presentations.

22. In excess of 300 people have attended the armed policing workshops to date. Feedback is always requested and 124 items have been received. Of those responding, only 10 people have disagreed with either the need for armed policing or that there had been an improvement in their understanding of armed policing issues after the presentation.

23. Building on the community engagement initiatives arising from the July 2005 bombings, and with the support of the Diversity & Citizen Focus Directorate, CO19 hosted the first meeting of the ‘Armed Policing Reference Group’ on 1 October 2007. The Terms of Reference for this group are:

• Through significant community and stakeholder engagement, to support the ongoing development of tactics, weapons, equipment and training to ensure that the MPS can respond effectively to incidents requiring the deployment of armed police officers.
• To create ongoing relationships with community representatives to help develop their understanding of issues associated with the police use of firearms.
• Help those involved in the management of firearms operations to understand the impact of these within communities.
• Provide advice for the management of community issues following specific critical incidents and identify lessons to be learned.
• Consult on operations likely to impact on public safety.

D. Financial implications

There are no cost implications in relation to the monitoring of diversity and Taser usage.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Commander Jo Kaye

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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