Taser 7 approved by Home Secretary

25 August 2020

The Home Secretary has approved a more effective Taser, paving the way for police officers to be equipped with the new model of the devices.

Priti Patel’s announcement, which means the more accurate, faster and compact Taser 7 is available to all 43 forces in England and Wales, has been welcomed by Jon Nott, chair of West Midlands Police Federation.

“As a Federation, we have long campaigned for all officers who want to carry Taser to be trained and equipped with the devices,” says Jon, “It stands to reason that we want our members to be equipped with all the latest equipment so that they can effectively protect themselves and the communities they serve.

“Taser is a very effective means of dealing with many of the dangerous incidents that officers deal with on a daily basis. In the vast majority of cases, simply drawing a Taser can defuse a situation but, where it is actually used, it is the less lethal option when compared with firearms.

“In addition to giving officers access to a more effective Taser, the approval of this new model will also lead to a cost-saving to forces in the longer term since this latest model has rechargeable batteries rather than disposable ones.”

National Federation vice-chair Ché Donald has also welcomed the Home Secretary’s announcement.

He said: “Policing is tough and more of my colleagues are being assaulted so it’s essential they are given the best training, the best equipment and the support they need to do their job. Having access to Taser with the option to carry one if they wish to do so and pass the required training is part of that.”

In September last year, the Government announced £10 million in ring-fenced funding to significantly increase the number of officers carrying Taser.

Chief constables will decide how many officers can carry the new devices based on strategic assessments of threats and risks in their force areas.

Officers who want to use the new device will receive updated training and guidance, while forces will need to complete an extra record every time a Taser 7 is used to monitor the effects and performance of the device.