Fed chair tells BBC listeners that Taser is an effective deterrent against physical assaults

22 November 2023

The chair of West Midlands Police Federation says Taser is an effective deterrent to violence against officers.

Rich Cooke told BBC radio listeners that officers who have Taser are nine times less likely to be assaulted.

He was speaking on the Trish Adudu programme on BBC WM about his renewed call for all officers to have access to Taser after a student officer was injured in an assault with a knife on Sunday.

Currently, around 1,000 frontline officers are trained in the use of the device.

“It’s fewer than we want,” Rich said. “We’d like every officer who goes out in public and takes the very real risks that we’ve seen played out in the past few days, to have that visible deterrent as well as it being a real deterrent.

Branch chair Rich Cooke.

“We know that in 8 out ten cases where violence is presented or threatened, it can be defused with no further action by the officer if the Taser is there.

“We just want our officers to have that protection and also the ability to protect the public, which it gives us.”

Rich described the process for officers being put forward for Taser use and the training they undergo.

“Any officer who is on a frontline, neighbourhood or response position can apply to have one and be trained in one,” he said.

“Usually it’s getting your supervisor, your sergeant or inspector to give you the nod to say they’re happy for you to carry one.

“The training is an excellent. It’s focused on tactical communication.

“It’s all about enhancing the communications with the subject, the suspect, or whoever it might be to avoid using it - it’s all about avoidance of using force.”

Asked about the potential for misuse of the device, Rich said it was “vanishingly rare” for West Midlands officers to be found guilty of it.

“In every walk of life you will get individuals who abuse their position or power and the police is sadly no exception,” he acknowledged.

“But in the past few years, the officers who have undergone Taser training are the ones who are least likely to be subject to complaints from members of the public.

“And in the past we’ve only seen one case which has resulted in an investigation let alone a finding.

“It’s vanishing rare for officers in West Midlands to be found to be guilty of misusing this.”

Rich also addressed the question of funding the use of Taser.

He said that with around 300 assaults on West Midlands officers each month, there was a high human cost of not using Taser.

“What cost is it in terms of officers who are off sick?” he said. “The officers who were injured the other day are now away from work.

“We’re running at around 300 assaults on officers a month and around 30 of those can be serious.

That means those officers on desk duties, off sick, on full pay.

“I say it’s far better to give them the protection.

“The stats show that if officers do have Taser, they’re up to nine times less likely to be assaulted in the first place.”

Listen to Rich's interview again by clicking here. It starts at around two hours and 40 minutes.

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