Three quarters of officers want Tasers at all times

29 June 2018

Three out of every four members of Leicestershire Police Federation who responded to a nationwide survey on routine arming have indicated they would like to carry Tasers at all times while on duty.

A total of 73 per cent of the Force’s Federation members said they wanted to carry the device routinely when they took part in the survey conducted by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), the results of which were released yesterday.

But only 12 per cent of them - for whom it is applicable to their role - actually had access to Taser at all times – compared with 22 per cent nationally. The Force currently has 1,900 officers with 167 being Taser trained and a further 47 authorised firearms officers who are also trained and carry Taser.

Leicestershire Police Federation chair Tiff Lynch says more and more members are seeing the critical role Taser can play in helping officers protect the public and themselves at a time when violent crime is on the increase, officer numbers are down and the threat of terrorism has risen.

“The survey revealed that 54 per cent of our members had felt their life was in serious danger at least once in the last two years as a result of a threat by a member of the public while on duty; that is quite a shocking statistic,” says Tiff.

“Tasers are a hugely effective way of dealing with the many difficult situations that officers can face and are a less lethal option than conventional firearms. In 80 per cent of cases where Taser a drawn, it is not used and the deterrent is enough.

“They have become an effective piece of kit for our front-line officers and have proved particularly useful to officers who are sent out single-crewed with back-up sometimes miles away. This survey revealed that only four per cent of Leicestershire respondents had access to double-crewing at all times with 60 per cent saying they wanted access whenever they were on duty.”

The survey also showed that 79 per cent of respondents in Leicestershire (for whom it is applicable to their role) currently had access to body-worn video at all times while on duty with 85 per cent wanting access to it at all times.

Leicestershire Police’s Federated members illustrated their feelings of vulnerability by also returning figures showing that 57 per cent of respondents within the county would be prepared to be routinely armed with guns while on duty if necessary and 35 per cent actually in favour of being armed at all times after appropriate training.

Nationally, the figure was a very similar 34 per cent, which compared to 23 per cent in 2006, the last time a similar survey was conducted.

Only seven per cent of Leicestershire respondents said they would not carry one under any circumstances.

The survey also showed that 73 per cent of Leicestershire’s officers were either not very, or not at all satisfied, that armed support would be available if needed at an incident. That compared with 43 per cent nationally.

“It is a high percentage but I am not surprised,” added Tiff, “It further highlights that police officers are feeling vulnerable for their own safety and, crucially, for the safety of the public too.”

The PFEW’s vice chair, Che Donald, said of the national figures, which painted a similar picture to Leicestershire: “With a terror threat that only goes up, never down, and prolonged pressure heaped on officers, they still hold on to the principle of policing by consent, with two thirds of officers not wishing to be routinely armed if given the choice.

“But let’s face facts, we live in dangerous times. Considering the threats we now face, the resources we don’t have and the demand we can’t meet, we expected to see an increase in support for routine arming. 

“We will use the results of this survey to inform, lobby and direct the changes our members desire and deserve, to not only keep themselves safe but help achieve their number one priority in keeping the public safe.”

Speaking at the annual national Federation conference in May, Home Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Of course, Tasers are also an important tactical option for officers dealing with the most serious and violent criminals. If you don’t feel that you’re getting the tools you need to do your job, I want to know about it.”

The routine arming survey was open to members between 31 July and 1 September 2017. The survey asked officers about their experiences and attitudes in the following areas: 

• Satisfaction with their current access to armed support
• Views on routine arming
• Views on other protective measures and equipment
• The number of times respondents had felt their life had been threatened at work in the last two years.

A total of 696 responses were received from respondents in Leicestershire. This reflects a response rate of approximately 39 per cent, based on Home Office figures from 2017. This compares to a national response rate of 27 per cent of Federated rank members.