Taser, anyone?

[MotherBear]

Police to hold year-long trial of stun guns
09 February 2006
By PAUL MULROONEY

Taser stun guns that fire a voltage charge into a suspect's body will be trialled by four New Zealand police districts later this year. Superintendent Tony McLeod said the stun guns would be trialled in the second half of the year for 12 months, after a review of the options available to police for restraining violent offenders. Police currently have only batons or pepper spray at their disposal.

Research by police in Britain, the United States, Canada and Australia showed the Taser was an effective, non-lethal way to deal with people who were unarmed or lightly armed and highly aggressive, Mr McLeod said. It was also suitable for use on those under the influence of mind-altering substances, solvents or alcohol.

The Taser uses a compressed nitrogen gas cartridge to fire a 6.4-metre-long copper wire which has barbed prongs at the tip. The prongs contain the charge, which lasts five seconds and can penetrate five centimetres of clothing.

The Tasers will be trialled in the North Shore-Waitakere-Rodney police district, Auckland City, Counties Manukau and Wellington – including Wairarapa. The trial will test a model used by British police, which contains five watts of voltage, and an older model used mainly in the US, which fires 26 watts of voltage.

Eighteen Tasers would be issued among the districts and will be used by specially trained staff. Each person would be trained in operating the Taser, the application of minimal force and providing medical help and care after the stun gun's use.

Mr McLeod said police had talked to Amnesty International about the organisation's concern that Tasers had contributed to deaths overseas, but he knew of no evidence to support their claim. Tasers had significantly reduced the number of injuries to offenders and the police, and there had been fewer complaints against the police too, he said.

[MotherBear]

Tasers on the streets from this Friday
Wednesday August 30, 2006
By Derek Cheng

Taser guns will be available to about 170 frontline police officers this Friday, despite the fact that the decision was not subject to public submissions. Under a 12-month trial, officers in Auckland and Wellington will have the guns to use when physical violence is threatened. The staff allowed to use the Taser have had one day of training. Each was subjected to a Taser stun, which causes the muscles to contract uncontrollably.

Superintendent John Rivers yesterday defended the police decision to go through with the trial without inviting public submissions. 'The justification [for the trial] was sufficient to enable the police executive to sign off the proposal. Public submissions were not identified to be an essential part of the process.'

He added that public debate was essential and police were open to talk to interested groups. 'There has been significant correspondence with groups, but at the end of the day the police decision was an operational decision. The fact is that there's sufficient matters going on in and sufficient justification for policing violence and disorder, and there is a need to trial it.'

But opponents say the decision to use the Taser was fast-tracked and brings an unknown and dangerous weapon into New Zealand society.

'Police are rushing this through and there has been no formal consultation process,' said Marie Dyhrberg, spokeswoman for the group Campaign Against the Taser. 'There is no real rush right now to do this, and we don't know enough about the Taser. The US Justice Department is reviewing Tasers right now. Why don't we see what they have to say.'

While there were situations where the Taser should be used, she said, the police guidelines for proper use were too fluffy and problematic. 'The guidelines aren't clear enough and don't define enough. I expect the trial period to be squeaky clean, and when the spotlight is off and many more are issued with Tasers, with loose controls in place, that's when the real danger is going to occur.'

The guidelines state that Tasers may be used only to defend people, make an arrest or resolve an incident where there is a threat of physical injury and less force cannot be used.

Mr Rivers said the threshold for Taser use was 'very high' and would not be abused. Police guidelines state that Tasers should not be used against non-aggressive people. 'Over and above the public benefit outweighing the medical risks, the key thing is that the Taser provides an option before the potential recourse to lethal weapons.'

Mr Rivers did not want to speculate on how widely the Taser might be deployed around the country if the trial were successful.

Police said each person Tasered would have a medical examination.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

Police may use Tasers only to:

Defend themselves, or others, if they fear physical injury to themselves, or others, and they cannot reasonably protect themselves, or others, less forcefully.

Arrest an offender if they believe on reasonable grounds he or she poses a threat of physical injury and the arrest cannot be effected less forcefully.

Resolve an incident where a person is acting in a manner likely to physically injure themselves and the incident cannot be resolved less forcefully.

Prevent the escape of an offender if they believe on reasonable grounds that he or she poses a threat of physical injury to any person, and the escape cannot be prevented less forcefully.

Deter attacking animals.

[selchie]

In general, I'm in favor of law enforcement using a taser rather than a gun to subdue a violent supect. I hope that they don't misuse the weapon thinking that because they are generally nonlethal, that they are always safe. Some have died after being tasered, mostly because of heart defects. Thus, good sense needs to be used before using the taser.

[MotherBear]

I posted this over a week ago and it disappeared so it's having a second debut now.  

Police use Taser for first time to subdue man
1.30pm Saturday September 9, 2006

An Auckland labourer last night became the first person in New Zealand to be subdued by a Taser -- the 50,000 volt electrical charge gun used by police to incapacitate alleged offenders. An officer used a Taser gun to disarm and arrest the 18-year-old man after police responded to two incidents in a Western Springs street about 8pm last night.

A police statement said the man suffered only minor lacerations from the probe contact and no injuries when he fell and was arrested.He was examined by a doctor at the Auckland central police station.

The man was to appear in Auckland District Court charged with assault with a weapon, threatening to kill, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a knife.

A controversial 12-month Taser trial started on September 1 in Auckland and Wellington.The small yellow gun fires two metal spurs which pierce clothing and skin. Six-metre wires attached to the darts transmit five seconds of charge, temporarily paralysing the person shot.

Until last night's incident police had reported drawing Tasers four times as a deterrent and on each occasion the target surrendered without it being fired. It was first pointed at an alleged offender in Orewa last Sunday morning when a 29-year-old man threatened to kill his mother and himself with a knife. The man surrendered and was charged with threatening to cause injury.

In Auckland on Monday, two men fled from a burglary in Waitakere and were chased by police. When stopped, police saw one was armed with a long screwdriver. They directed the Taser's laser beam at the man and he dropped the tool.

Wellington officers also used the threat of shock treatment to arrest a man threatening passers-by with a knife in central Wellington's Courtenay Place early on Wednesday.

Members of the armed offenders squad had access to the weapon during yesterday's tense hostage drama at Auckland's Paremoremo prison. Police eventually stormed a store room to free a female prison officer who had been held by an inmate.

- NZPA

[MotherBear]

Taser threat enough for most offenders

Thursday September 21, 2006

The intimidation factor of police Tasers appears to be working, with the stun guns having been presented 11 times so far but used only once.

About 180 police in greater Auckland and Wellington were trained to use Tasers before they were officially added to the police arsenal at the start of this month, despite protests from some politicians and anti-Taser groups.

Police data released yesterday showed Tasers had been drawn 11 times, with "laser painting" - highlighting the target with a red dot - having been used eight times.

In two other situations the stun guns were drawn from their holsters with no further action needed.In most of the incidents there were weapons or suspected weapons involved.

The only time a Taser was discharged was in the arrest of an 18-year-old man in Western Springs on September 8.Police said the man suffered minor lacerations from the probe contact but no injuries when he fell.

He was later charged with assault with a weapon, threatening to kill, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a knife.

Police have defended the use of Tasers, describing them as an important crime fighting tool in a situation of growing violence, but critics have called for them to be banned.It was revealed last week that two police officers received minor injuries during testing of Tasers.

Green MP Keith Locke said he had asked Police Minister Annette King to reconsider the use of the weapons.

"I have written to Police Minister Annette King to ask her to reconsider whether the trial should go ahead in the light of this new evidence," Mr Locke said.

The Tasers are being used on a trial basis for 12 months.

- NZPA

[Welshgirl]

I'm not normally an outspoken person, but on the subject of law enforcement, I admit to having very strong opinions.

Why are these do-gooders objecting to the use of the taser guns?? Guns with bullets have been in use by police officers for a long time and nobody objects to those any more because they are seen as the norm. The taser gun is far less lethal than a gun - I know which one I would rather have used on me should I ever get myself into the position of being a criminal. And that's another point - these weapons are being used on criminals - not law-abiding, non-dangerous members of the public - but people who are dangerous and possibly armed with weapons themselves. What makes it ok for them to have weapons with the intent of harming/killing someone, but not ok for a police officer to brandish a weapon with an intent to disarm them? Of course, there are police officers who may be a bit quick to use them when it's not absolutely necessary, as with guns, but I am quite sure they have to justify their use and would be reprimanded if used unneccesarily.

The public would be quick to criticise the police had they not stopped the 18 year old in the story below, so to my mind they did the right thing.

I have the same feelings on the subject of 'big brother watching' - cctv cameras watching you everywhere you go - so what?? If you have nothing to hide, why complain about attempts to make the streets a safer place?

Taser guns & cctv = a necessary evil :(

[MotherBear]

Have to say I agree with that. As long as the taser is used judiciously and not for the sheer hell of it, I think I?d feel happier about criminals being tasered than being shot at. The aim is to bring them under control and that is what the taser does, leaving the police with a live crim from whom they may need other vital evidence, which would be lost if he/she were dead.

A shot can kill and that?s the end of it. There?s no going back if the suspect is subsequently found to be innocent (e.g. the unfortunate incident with the Brazilian, Menezes , who was shot 8 times in a London tube station). Had a taser been used, there would probably have been a second chance. A gun shot is unforgiving and final if it hits a vulnerable spot and an innocent life has been needlessly lost. I think also of passersby who have unwittingly got in the way of a speeding bullet and died as a result. My feeling is that, 9 times out of 10, someone hit by a taser, whether guilty or innocent, at least has a chance to put their case, which is more than a dead body has.

I, too, am of the opinion that criminals should be treated humanely and that?s it. They walk this earth with intent to harm others so why should we treat them softly and give them rights? Our own rights don?t come into it when they attack us. Criminals need something to be truly afraid of and pain and death are two deterrents that spring to mind. As I said previously, other innocent people can and do often get caught up in shoot outs and this should never happen. If a taser is used and the police get it wrong, someone might be hurt, but I?m sure their family would still rejoice that they are, nevertheless, still alive.

CCTVs have the thumbs up from me. Many times now we hear of the police being able to piece evidence together with the aid of film and I?m sure it provides great proof of guilt in court. If it brings criminals to justice and allows me to walk safely then it has my vote.

*clambers down off soapbox*

[MotherBear]

Taser gun deterrent seems to be working
21 September 2006
By EMILY WATT

Police have drawn tasers on average once every two days since the controversial trial began on September 1. But the intimidation effect of the 50,000-volt stun guns seems to be working, with the weapons presented 11 times, but fired only once.

Police have used the tactic of "laser painting" – pointing the red laser light at the offender – eight times, and on two occasions the guns were merely drawn from their holster. Only one incident was in Wellington, and the rest in Auckland. In most incidents, the offenders were armed or suspected to be armed.

One hundred and seventy police in Auckland and Wellington have been trained to use the weapons, and will trial them for twelve months. Police say they are an important crime-fighting tool, but critics say 200 people have died from their use in America, and are calling for them to be banned.

On September 8, police fired the gun at an 18-year-old brandishing a weedeater in Auckland's Western Springs. He was surrounded by adults and children, and refused to drop the weapon.

Offenders who have been "laser painted" include:
* A man armed with a wheel brace, threatening another man in a dispute at a service station, September 4, Manurewa.
* Two men on two separate occasions harming themselves with a knife, September 6 and 9.
* Occupants of a car after reports of a carjacking involving firearms, September 7. They had refused to get out of the car.
* A man in possession of an offensive weapon, September 10, Counties Manukau. He was arrested and charged with possession of an offensive weapon.
Since that incident, the taser has been drawn twice, but not presented.

[MotherBear]

Laser painting sounds a lot more accurate than aiming with a gun.  At least you can see where the probes will hit in the event the weapon has to be fired.

Tasers drawn 13 times since introduction
02 October 2006

Police have drawn Tasers twice more in the last 10 days, bringing the total number of times they have been used to 13.
About 180 police in greater Auckland and Wellington were trained to use Tasers before they were officially added to the police arsenal on September 1, despite protests from some politicians and anti-Taser groups.

Police have fired the Taser once, used laser painting – highlighting the target with a red dot – nine times and drawn the stun guns three times.

In most of the incidents in question there were weapons or suspected weapons involved, police said. In the latest incidents, a Taser was drawn in New Lynn to catch an offender who had threatened a woman with a knife on September 20.

Last Wednesday police drew a Taser and laser painted a man armed with a knife who had threatened to kill himself in Counties Manakau.

The incident where a Taser was discharged involved the arrest of an 18-year-old man in Western Springs on September 8. Police said the man suffered minor lacerations from the probe contact and no injuries when he fell. He was later charged with assault with a weapon, threatening to kill, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a knife.

Police have defended the use of Tasers, describing them as an important crime-fighting tool amidst growing violence, but critics have called for them to be banned.

- NZPA

[MotherBear]

Police accused of breaching Taser limits
UPDATED 8.15am Tuesday October 24, 2006
By Mike Houlahan and NZPA

Police have repeatedly breached the operating procedures for the Taser stun gun, opponents of the weapon say. The Taser is being trialled for a year by 170 officers in the Auckland and Wellington areas as a less-severe alternative for subduing violent offenders.

The use of the weapon is only permissible under certain conditions. However, lawyer and Campaign Against The Taser spokeswoman Marie Dyhrberg said those conditions had been regularly breached by police and tasers had been carried or drawn inappropriately.

"Tasers are only meant to be used in 'assaultive' situations, yet a man fleeing the scene of a burglary in Waitakere was stopped by police and had a Taser aimed at him," she said. "Police claimed he was armed but the so-called weapon was a screwdriver, the sort of tool any burglar might have."

In 1993, former Gisborne police sergeant Nigel Hendrikse was in hospital for two months and left partially paralysed after being stabbed by a gang member wielding a screwdriver.

Ms Dyhrberg said two of 16 reported Taser incidents were in service stations, where the weapon was not meant to be used in case its electrical discharge caused a fire. Two other incidents involved reports of firearms.

"The operating procedures state the Taser should not be normally considered in such situations, with police firearms remaining the most appropriate response."

Ms Dyhrberg said a letter had been sent to Police Minister Annette King outlining the group's concerns.

Police national headquarters did not return calls from the Herald yesterday but media spokesman Jon Neilson said this morning that every time officers drew their new weapons, they had good reason.

"It has all been according to the book. In every case, the person was armed and there has been the threat of violence or aggression," he said. "You will see that in 16 instances Tasers have been drawn, they have only been fired twice."

Taser rules

Police operating procedures say officers can only use the Taser to:

* Defend themselves or others, if they fear physical injury to themselves or others, or if they cannot reasonably protect themselves or others less forcefully.

* Arrest someone if they believe the offender poses a risk of physical injury to themselves or others, if the arrest cannot be effected less forcefully.

* Resolve an incident where someone might harm themselves, if the incident cannot be resolved less forcefully.

* Prevent the escape of an offender if that person poses a threat of physical injury and the escape cannot be prevented less forcefully.

* Deter attacking animals.