Federation Chair: We shouldn't hinder officers by trying to put an age limit on safety equipment

6 January 2021

Police Officers cannot be expected to know the age of an assailant armed with a gun or knife when confronted by the weapon, Kent Police Federation has said.

Neil Mennie, Police Federation Chairman, was speaking after Unicef UK called for the prevention of Taser being used on under-18s.

But Neil said: “It’s not practical or reasonable to expect officers to know the age of the person they’re dealing with. This is all about use of force as a last resort and where it’s appropriate. If the danger presented by the individual is such that Taser has to be used, it has to be used.

“There are some young adults who can be extremely violent and extremely dangerous. It’s rare - but we shouldn’t hinder our officers by trying to put an age limit on using their safety equipment, including the use of Taser, on those occasions where it’s appropriate and justified.

“As unpalatable as use of force is, there are occasions where it is justified. Officers are very well-trained and there are always other options available, but there will always be those occasions where they’re left with no choice in order to protect the suspect, themselves and the public.”

Neil also pointed out that “use of Taser” in official figures includes simply drawing Taser out, which can be incredibly effective in defusing a situation. He added: “More often than not, the fact that the Taser is drawn, will defuse and de-escalate the situation safely before it even gets to the point of having to discharge it.”

The recently released Unicef UK report suggested Taser and spit guards were “increasingly being used by police forces on children” and recommended they were prohibited.

But Police Federation of England and Wales Chair John Apter said this wasn’t “real world” policing.

He said: “The harsh reality is some ‘children’ are dangerous individuals, and we’ve seen this time and time again with under 18s being convicted for very serious offences including GBH, attempted murder and murder. My colleagues have to deal with this, often being injured in the process. I make no apology for doing everything I can so my colleagues can properly defend themselves and the public.”