Tasers Proliferate In UK

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More LTL tools. Generally, that's a good thing.

I wonderif a UK citizen can buy a Taser?





Fears over Taser gun expansion
Reuters
Published: September 01, 2007


London: Non-firearms police officers in England and Wales have been given access to Taser electric stun guns from yesterday under plans to give frontline officers more powers when confronted with violent suspects.

Previously the 50,000-volt devices could only be used by firearms officers.

The year-long trial in 10 forces will allow officers to fire the guns if faced with violence or threats.

Up to now, they could only be used by officers when confronted by an armed person.

The guns, which are to be used by non-firearms officers working in specially trained units, temporarily disable a suspect by firing two barbed darts trailing electric wires.

The plans were proposed by the then Home Secretary John Reid in May.

Human rights groups are against the use of the guns because they have been linked to dozens of deaths in America and Canada.



Concern

A spokesman for Amnesty International told BBC radio there is a place for the Taser in a police officer's weaponry, but he added: "We are concerned that any wider deployment of these beyond specially-trained firearms officers who go through intensive and robust ongoing training in real life scenarios about when and how to deploy these weapons is maybe a step too far."

He added: "A Taser is less lethal than a gun, but not non-lethal. I mean, they are potentially lethal."

A Taser gun training officer told BBC radio: "Put simply, if you can reduce the risk of injuries to police officers, reduce the injuries to the public, and reduce the injuries to the subjects we deal with, then that has got to be a good thing."

He said officers undergo three days of training, followed by coaching.

The Home Office said no deaths have been linked to their use in Britain.

Taser guns have been used in about 700 incidents since their introduction in the UK four years ago.

http://www.gulf-news.com/world/United_Kingdom/10150862.html

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Because we all know that electricity is NEVER used to torture confessions out of people... What's next, giving every police officer a box of phonebooks?

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Use a firearm (now that a TASER is a 'gun') and leave one less witness/complaintant. God'll sort 'em out.

Either we are equal or we are not. Good people ought to be armed where they will, with wits and guns and the truth. NRA KMA$$

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HankT wrote:

More LTL tools. Generally, that's a good thing.

I wonderif a UK citizen can buy a Taser?

Click to expand...

No, in the UK it is illegal to defend yourself.

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Hi, all. I've been in the UK on "holiday", as TrueBrit would call it, for 2 weeks. It is an absolutely beautiful section of the world. The people there, like you and me, are great. The "media" is now calling the proliferation and use of tasers (this is similar to our media and us "law-abiding-citizens" having handguns) as being barberic. I'm still catching up on what is going on here. I leave for 2 weeks and it sems like it's gone to "Hell-In-A-Handbasket".

What I noticed was that all of the London Police had on Bullet-Resistant vests. (I have never seen this many Police in one area - More than NYC) They all carried their hands in the "arm holes" of the vests -Cross your arms and put them in the opposite arm holes. All Officers carried a cell phone on the upper chest, below the shoulder velcroed to the vest. ( I have got to find a photo). I reckon that their annual training included an hour at the range, ripping off the phone from the vest and throwing it at a target. Shootings continue at a high rate. An 11-year old in Liverpool was shot and killed. The police had arrested 16 people, let 11 go and had released 5 on "police bond" in relation to this incident. However, the deaths from stabbings and even a 67-year old gentleman was stoned to death byyoungsters 12-14 years old. He was playing cricket with his teen son. I was there briefly and read about this stuff. Oh yeah, Knife Crime is way up in the UK and the "gov't" wants to ban those, too. Go figure...

We have to keep OUR rights in the forefront! Let's not lose them.

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Yeah, the UK is a lost cause, I fear.

The thing that worries me about cops anywhere armed with tasers is that, although they may be legitimately deployed as defensive tools, all too often they seem to be used as a means of punishment, or of ensuring compliance.

If the UK is so dangerous that the cops need tasers, then surely the British people should be able to carry them, no?

I am pleased that you enjoyed your holiday, though!

TrueBrit.

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TrueBrit wrote:

Yeah, the UK is a lost cause, I fear.

The thing that worries me about cops anywhere armed with tasers is that, although they may be legitimately deployed as defensive tools, all too often they seem to be used as a means of punishment, or of ensuring compliance.

Click to expand...

Exactly. In that sense, tasers are more barabaric than handguns. A handgun forces the user to exercise more judgment, because pulling the trigger means a high probability of killing someone.Using ataser, however, has less gravity in the mind of the user, because it likely won't kill the target. Thus the temptation to use it in situations which are less than life-threatening. Won't get out of the car fast enough? ZAP. Won't grovel before me? ZAP. Won't confess? ZAP.

Of course, this makes it the ideal weapon for Britain's new police state, what with the cameras and facial recognition software and all.

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Tomahawk wrote:

TrueBrit wrote:

Yeah, the UK is a lost cause, I fear.

The thing that worries me about cops anywhere armed with tasers is that, although they may be legitimately deployed as defensive tools, all too often they seem to be used as a means of punishment, or of ensuring compliance.

Click to expand...

Exactly. In that sense, tasers are more barabaric than handguns. A handgun forces the user to exercise more judgment, because pulling the trigger means a high probability of killing someone.Using ataser, however, has less gravity in the mind of the user, because it likely won't kill the target. Thus the temptation to use it in situations which are less than life-threatening. Won't get out of the car fast enough? ZAP. Won't grovel before me? ZAP. Won't confess? ZAP.

Of course, this makes it the ideal weapon for Britain's new police state, what with the cameras and facial recognition software and all.

Click to expand...

+1.

Thank goodness that the UK cops do not all carry guns yet! This would be a disaster in the making.

The legitimate gun culture in UK is confined to the use of sporting and target long guns, handguns are pretty much unavailable legally( cap and ball pistols OK.) Generally, the country boys like me grew up imbibing this sane and safe use of sporting guns, no problems.Such boys are now becoming increasingly feminized.

The armed cops in UK generally encounter firearms for the first time when they become cops, and behave like kids with new toys. That which was forbidden fruit is available to them, and they become far too gung ho!

The SO19 cops who murdered the Brazilian electrician two summers ago are trained by the SAS soldiers, who frequently express misgivings as to the suitability of these goons to carry guns.

The correct solution, of course, would be to return to the pre 1920 days, when most Brits carried pocket pistols routinely, and were always ready to assist the unarmed police. Both of my grandfathers packed revolvers discreetely, since they carried large amounts of cash to purchase horses and cattle with. They never had to use them, but they always packed them when away from the farm. Loaded shotguns were always handy, and ensured nocturnal safety.

Sadly, this happy state of affairs is unlikely to return any time soon,given that the UK is indeed a police state in all respects now.

TrueBrit.