Tighten police taser controls: lawyers

CIVIL liberties lawyers have called for tighter controls on the roll-out of tasers to frontline Queensland police.

CIVIL liberties lawyers have called for tighter controls on the roll-out of tasers to frontline Queensland police as it was confirmed an officer who used the stun gun last year on an unarmed teenage girl had escaped disciplinary action.

Queensland's police force this week became Australia's first to issue tasers to general duties' officers as debate rages around the world over the use of the stun guns, blamed for more than 50 deaths in the US since 2001 and at least one fatality in Australia, in NSW in 2002.

On Tuesday, civil liberties lawyers were briefed about Queensland police guidelines and training for more than 5000 officers, who last year were fast-tracked access to tasers by the Bligh Government, barely six months into a year-long trial.

Lawyers said the guidelines were not tough enough in dictating the use of the guns.

Caxton Legal Centre director Scott McDougall said police did not appear to have learned from the use of a taser on a 16-year-old girl, who had defied an order to move on because she was waiting for an ambulance to treat a sick friend.

"Police are able to justify using a taser against anyone offering anything other than passive resistance," Mr McDougall said.

"It lends itself to misuse by undisciplined officers."

The unarmed teenager, who weighed 50kg, was being held down by two security officers when the policeman deployed a "drive stun" blast to her thigh, in an apparent breach of guidelines banning the use of a taser on a juvenile unless there is imminent risk of injury. The incident drew a strong rebuke by a magistrate and the teenager is preparing civil action.

Queensland police yesterday confirmed the officer would not face disciplinary action, but had undergone retraining in the use of the tasers.

Queensland Civil Liberties president Michael Cope said the "drive stun" mode of the taser should be removed. The majority of taser deployments during the trial were in "drive stun" mode, which causes localised pain.