Update on the use of Taser

Report: 4
Date: 9 June 2006
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report provides an update on the trial of Taser within the MPD and conversion within the MPS to the X26 model Taser.

A. Recommendations

That members note progress that has been made to date on the trial of Taser.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. Last summer, ACPO made representations to the Home Office that the trial be extended to other suitably trained specialist officers within the five trial forces and deployed to a wider range of conflict management incidents. Potentially, these would include those incidents where an officer may have to face serious violence or the threat of serious violence. Whilst it is not possible to give a definitive list, it would include incidents where a subject was carrying a weapon, such as a knife or sword.

2. A decision by the Home Office as to whether to allow forces to consider such an extension to the availability of Taser is still awaited.

Operation and effect of Taser

3. Taser works by discharging a pair of probes from an electrical device at an intended subject at short range. The probes, which contain a sharp barb, create a circuit by connecting to clothing or penetrating the skin. 50,000 volts is then passed through the conducting wire into the subject. An additional feature of the weapon means that it can be used in a touch/drive stun mode, either after the barbs have been discharged or when the cartridge is removed. In either mode, Taser delivers its electrical charge in a five-second cycle, which can be broken or repeated, but once the cycle ends or is broken, the direct incapacitation effect ceases. The overall effect is achieved through disruption of neuromuscular control, leading to disturbances in posture and balance. In most cases, this application will be sufficient to render a subject incapable of continuing an attack and is likely to result in the subject collapsing to the ground. The effect is not intended nor is likely to render the subject unconscious.

4. As with any potential use of force, there is a continuum. The simple drawing of the Taser, or use of the red dot aiming mechanism may be enough to induce compliance. ‘Arcing’ visually demonstrates the electric charge without discharging the barbs.

The further evaluation of Taser devices by HOSDB

5. The Home Office, ACPO and the Northern Ireland Office tasked the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) with carrying out an evaluation of less lethal options, specifically Taser.

6. The report concerned itself with the further testing of the M26 and initial testing of an alternative, the X26, and concluded that the risk of life threatening or serious injuries from the M26 Taser was very low.

7. The report also contained the following new information:

1. The laser in the sighting system is classified as 3R (British Laser Safety Standard).
2. There is a low risk of Taser affecting medical equipment.
3. There is no significant risk of affecting flight critical systems of aircraft in flight.
4. There is a significant risk of ignition if a Taser is used near a subject sprayed with CS or PAVA incapacitant spray.

8. HOSDB concluded that it is unlikely that the electrical discharge from the M26 and X26 will influence the heart of healthy individuals. However, the possibility that other factors may have an effect cannot be excluded. These may include the following:

• Illicit drug intoxication
• Alcohol abuse
• Pre-existing heart disease
• Cardioactive therapeutic drugs

9. Throughout the testing and handling trials, and when compared to the operational requirement, the X26 performed better than the M26 in most areas. Its superior characteristics included:

• Ease of operation and better handling characteristics
• Full functionality in a greater range of environments (darkness and extreme temperatures)
• Smaller and lighter for easier carriage
• Speed of use and re-loading
• More robust audit trail, with more parameters recorded (all usage is recorded and can be downloaded)

10. In addition, the risk of a life-threatening event arising from the direct interaction of the currents of the X26 Taser with the heart was less than the already low risk with the M26 Taser. However, as the X26 Taser is more effective than the M26 in stimulating skeletal muscle, a subject’s less controlled fall renders the possibility of sustaining a head injury on contact with a surface. Despite this, HOSDB concluded that the risk of serious head injury is low.

11. As a result of the attendant risks, officers receive specific and appropriate aftercare training.

12. The MPS has a statutory duty under the Codes of Practice to monitor the availability of new weapons systems that might improve the safety of operations. Now that it is available to the MPS, usage of the X26 will continue to be collated by the Home Office, which will maintain records of the circumstances of every Taser use, the post-incident medical assessments undertaken by the Forensic Medical Examiner (FME), and the clinical consequences noted by the FME or clinical staff.

13. The nature of the injuries suffered in MPS Taser incidents have been limited to the barbs piercing the skin following discharge. These are only removed by suitably qualified medical staff.

14. Every Taser discharge is referred to the DPS. If the incident were to result in death or injury (other than a barb injury), a complaint against police, failings in command, or danger to the public, then the matter would be referred to the IPCC.

MPS conversion to the X26 Taser

15. The current position is that the MPS is in the process of converting from the M26 to the X26 Taser. It is envisaged that this process should be completed by the end of June 2006.

16. As of 18 April 2006, the X26 Advanced Taser was made available to AFOs across the MPS armed commands as part of an agreed extension of this less-lethal option. It is intended that the armed OCUs will seek to deploy the X26 during 2006, as detailed below:

• CO19 – Specialist Firearms Command. Armed Response Vehicles (ARV), Tactical Support Teams (TST) and Specialist Firearms Officers (SFO), responding to both spontaneous and pre-planned firearms operations.
• SO14 – Royalty Protection. Static protection posts on Royal premises.
• SO16 – Diplomatic Protection. Static protection posts and mobile patrols around Diplomatic premises in Central London, and Armed Hospital Guards.
• SO18 – Aviation Security. Foot and mobile patrols at Heathrow and City airports.
• RG – Belmarsh Firearms Team. Foot and mobile patrols at Belmarsh High Security Prison.
• 1 TSG authorised firearms officers (AFOs) – specific Security Patrols and Armed Hospital Guards.
• SCD7 Flying Squad – existing armed deployments.

Taser usage in the MPS 2003 - 2006

17. Year on year details of Taser discharges in the MPS, including the following information, are set out in Appendix 1:

• Disability/membership of special population group Gender
• Ethnicity
• Age
• Operation type (Pre-Planned or Spontaneous)
• Reason for deployment
• Suspects weapon
• Borough on which deployed

18. With the exception of four incidents (SO16 - one discharge on 3 Sep 04, and SO18 – three discharges10 July 04, 2 Oct 05 and 21 Oct 05), the other discharges recorded in Appendix 1 have been the responsibility of CO19 officers.

19. At the time of reporting, there have been no Taser incidents since 11 April 2006. Hence, the X26 Taser has not yet been discharged operationally.

20. The M26 Taser was trialed within the MPS (one of the initial five forces) between April 2003 and April 2004.

21. From the outset, the use of Taser was restricted to authorised firearms officers and deployed to operations where a firearms authority had been granted, i.e. these officers would face suspects who were armed, believed to be armed, or otherwise so dangerous that they could not be safely restrained without the use of a firearm.

22. The year long trial was independently evaluated by Price Waterhouse Cooper, and following the trial’s successful conclusion, the use of Taser was agreed for all Forces in England and Wales under the existing ACPO criteria.

23. Within the MPS, only CO19 Specialist Firearms Command officers were involved in the initial trial. The use of Taser was later extended to officers with enhanced duties from the Diplomatic Protection Group (SO16) and Aviation Security OCU (SO18) as an extension of their authority to carry firearms.

C. Race and equality impact

1. All Taser devices are effective against a high proportion of the population, including those who are drunk or who are suffering from the effects of drugs or a mental illness.

2. Authorised Firearms Officers have received extensive training in relation to members of the population (special population groups) who do not behave in an expected manner as a result of some form of impairment be it permanent or temporary (psychiatric illness, use of drugs or alcohol) or will not comprehend police instructions e.g. due to deafness or where English is not the person’s first language.

3. All affirmative references in Appendix 1 (Disability/membership of special population group), were incidents approached by the firearms officers as potentially involving a Special Population Group.

4. Officers have enhanced training in relation to negotiation, and are trained specifically in appropriate after-care.

D. Financial implications

1. At £750, the X26 is significantly more expensive than the M26 (£395)

2. Funding for the initial purchase of the X26 Tasers and cartridges was identified within the Medium Term Financial Plan for 2004/05 and 2005/06. £400,000 was set aside by SO Business Group for the year 2005/06 to cover the purchase of the desired numbers of X26 Tasers (292), training and some aspects of testing. These Tasers have been distributed to the firearms commands as follows:

• SO14 x 20
• SO16 x 90
• SO18 x 50
• 1TSG x 10
• RG x 14
• CO19 x 88
• SCD7 x 20

2,000 cartridges were also purchased at a total cost of £30,000

E. Background papers

None provided

F. Contact details

Report author: Commander Jo Kaye, MPS

For more information contact:

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

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback