Queensland Police to trial new long-range tasers

Queensland police will soon be armed with “state-of-the-art” long-range tasers, capable of shooting multiple rounds and so far only accessed in the US.

Queensland police will be armed with powerful new tasers which the state government says will improve officer safety while potentially reducing the need to use firearms by force.

Dozens of hi-tech Taser 10s will be distributed as part of a new trial to be unveiled on Wednesday, with the weapons capable of a range three times more than the existing stun guns.

Police Minister Mark Ryan said the “state of the art” technology will also improve officer safety through the capability of shooting multiple rounds.

Queensland will become the first jurisdiction outside of the US to access the Taser 10s, which can be fired from a distance of nearly 14m.

“State of the art equipment and training facilities transfer into keeping our officers safe as well as the community of Queensland,” Mr Ryan said.

“This trial of state of the art technology further enhances the QPS’ commitment to delivering world-class policing services into the future.”

It was hoped the trial of 65 advanced tasers could reduce the need to use lethal use of force following a spate of incidents involving officers forced to shoot suspects in highly dangerous circumstances, Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said.

The Taser 10. Picture: Supplied

“If we give our officers the best possible training and equipment, it means that they are able to go into our communities and serve to the best of their abilities,” she said.

“The Taser 10, for instance, will provide an effective longer range, less lethal option to save lives and reduce harm to police and the community.”

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers welcomed the investment into new equipment to improve officer safety.

He said the union had urged the state government and police to arm officers with the advanced technology.

“I’ve always said our first response police should be supplied with the best and latest equipment that comes on the market,” Mr Leavers said.

“The new taser model provides a longer range for the probes to reach an offender enabling police to have greater accuracy and keep a safe distance from violent people or those with sharp weapons.

“It will improve officer safety and allow us to protect the community better.”

The trial of the new tasers follows the rollout of a hi-tech, locally designed Integrated Load Bearing Vests (ILBV) to protect officers from knives and bullets, which the Commissioner said provides “immense capability to respond to dangerous situations while keeping them as safe as we possibly can”.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll. Picture: Steve Pohlner

“The new vests combine ballistic, reflectorised, load bearing and edged weapon protection capabilities into one,” Ms Carroll said.

In the last financial year, 14 people were shot by police in Queensland, including four fatally, in 2023 to date.

Stun guns, more commonly known as Tasers, were not deployed or considered an option in some of those cases, but Ms Carroll said she was confident the new taser would change things.

“It takes milliseconds for a person with a knife to travel over a few metres,” the police commissioner said.

“Straight away, when someone’s that close to you, that’s the disadvantage of the current taser, it just works in such a short distance.

“You can clearly see already … that this (new device) adds benefit. You’ve got that distance, you don’t have to reload under stress.

“That distance and time is critically important.”

Police Minister Mark Ryan provides an update on a range of police initiatives. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

The new taser has a range of 13.7m – triple the distance of the current model – and can shoot multiple barbs faster and straighter without the officer needing to reload.

Senior Sergeant Simon, who asked for his surname to not be used, said it was a “massive enhancement” for officers, and the community.

“The bottom line is it will save lives and reduce harm to police and the community,” he said.

The new tasers will be rolled out to the District Duty Officer in each Queensland district by October, with 10 of the stun guns reserved for training.

The new devices cost $7000 each, compared to $2000 for the current model.

Ms Carroll said if the trial went well, she would ask the government for additional funding for “at least” 6000 new devices to replace the existing models.

“We don’t want to find ourselves in situations where we have to draw our weapon when we have other options, and this at the moment looks to be a very good option for the future,” she said.

The “dry stun” option has been removed from the new model and it has a slightly lower voltage than the older taser.

It also has “humane” aspects, including a safety cushion to ensure the barb doesn’t go too far into a target, and a personalised energy input based on the target’s weight.

Originally published as Queensland Police to trial new long-range tasers