Police Association calls for Tasers for all patrol officers to combat rising violence

FRONTLINE police are calling for all South Australian patrol officers to be armed with Tasers in a national first — and there’s stunning evidence to back their push.

• SA Police get permission to use Tasers
• Frontline officers to get body-worn cameras

FRONTLINE police are calling for all patrol officers to be armed with Tasers, as new figures show they face increasing violence and at least two are being assaulted each day.

Police Association of SA president Mark Carroll, whose union represents about 4700 officers, said all frontline officers, not just one per patrol, should be equipped with a Taser on their belt.

Such a move would be a national first.

Other states have similar one-per-patrol policies, except Tasmania and ACT which only allow specialist officers to have Tasers.

New figures show that, on average, at least two police officers were attacked while on duty every day last year.

Assaults against police rose from 704 in 2014 to 792 in 2015, including a huge 25 per cent increase in the Elizabeth police service area.

While SAPOL chiefs would not comment on whether they supported the push, Mr Carroll said frontline officers, which number about 1000, were well-trained to deal with appropriate Taser use.

“They also have tools of trade, which now — as a result of campaigning by the Police Association — include Tasers on the accoutrement belt of the senior officer in patrols,” he said.

“We would like this policy extended so that Tasers are on the accoutrement belts of all frontline police officers.”

Mark Carroll is president of the Police Association of SA.

He said the rising number of assaults against officers was concerning.

“Police officers have no choice but to deal with violence every day in the course of their work.

“Policing is a tough occupation and our members sustain both physical and psychological workplace injuries in a number of ways.

“While one officer might sustain a broken arm as he or she tries to quell a pub brawl, another might suffer stress from extended exposure to child abuse cases or particularly gruesome crime scenes.”

The number of frontline police changes from year-to-year but is believed to be about 1000.

Under current policy enacted in 2014, one Taser is carried by a member of a patrol crew on each shift, including solo patrols.

An officer can only carry and use a Taser when they:

HAVE completed the appropriate training program and are currently certified,

ARE qualified in firearms training,

ARE performing uniformed operational duties.

The devices are fitted with infra-red video cameras which start recording when the Taser is used.

Police Minister Peter Malinauskas said the State Government would consider rolling out the Tasers if approached by SAPOL.

“The Government has not been approached by SAPOL for funding to increase the provision of Electronic Control Devices (Tasers),” he said.

“Should SAPOL request to expand the current provision of ECDs, of course the Government would look closely at the merits of any such proposal.”

The electroshock weapons are described by their manufacturer as “one of law enforcement’s most trusted pieces of equipment”.

“Taser products protect lives, prevent injuries, reduce litigation, and save agencies money,” the company’s website boasts.

SAPOL yesterday declined to comment on whether it supported the association’s call for all officers to have Tasers on their belts.

A police spokesman said each time a Taser was used, whether discharged or simply removed from an officer’s belt, SAPOL reviewed the incident thoroughly.

“If the criteria for use is appropriately satisfied; and the device is activated, interactions are recorded in video and audio formats,” he said.

“Following any use, a rigorous review process is completed to ensure the device was deployed appropriately in compliance with the commissioners instructions.”

STAR Group officers have been using Tasers for more than a decade and there are between 2,500-3000 officers trained to use them.

Prior to October 2014, police were only allowed to have a Taser in the boot of their patrol car and could remove it if they were confronted with an armed offender.

The Australian Federation of Police has supported police use of Tasers after compiling a report that assaults against officers dropped 24 per cent upon their introduction into New South Wales.

Critics, however, have cautioned against their implementation and in some cases there have been deaths reported after Taser use.

The government is currently rolling out body-mounted video cameras to all frontline officers by mid-2019 after the State Government as a cost of about $6 million.

What is a Taser?

A Taser stun gun delivers a 50,000 volt shock to offenders that immediately disables them.

The shock is delivered through two small “probes” fired from the weapon, usually aimed at the chest of an offender.

State’s Taser history

December 2009: Then Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond is tasered in a controlled setting as part of a push to have them distributed to police across the state.

February 2009: Police launch their first Taser trial.

July 2010: The Tasers are rolled out to officers. However, they are to be kept in the patrol car boot and only removed for use by the senior patrol officer.

August 2012: Tasers are issued to one and two-person country police stations and, for the first time, solo patrol officers are granted access after undertaking a specialised training program.

October 2014: New policy allows one Taser to be carried on the belt of the qualified officer on each shift — including solo patrols. SA Police are also given permission to use them on unarmed offenders.

April 2016: Police Association of South Australia president Mark Carroll calls for all frontline officers to be supplied with Tasers on their belts.