Devon & Cornwall Police
Record 1
Freedom of Information Act Request No:2863/13
1. How many police officers routinely carry a TASER?
2. How many police officers are trained to use a TASER?
3. Which departments/units (e.g. Dog Section, Roads Policing Unit) contain officers who routinely carry a TASER?
4. In regard to question 3, how many police officers work in these departments/units and how many police officers carry TASER in said departments/units.
5. Out of all police officers in Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, what is the percentage of police officers who routinely carry a TASER?
6. Please state the methods in which the TASER is carried by police officers (e.g. belt holster, TAC Vest holster, leg holster)
7. What colour is the personal protection vest worn by officers in each applicable department?
8. Does the colours of the TASER in Devon and Cornwall Constabulary vary?
9. If yes to question 8, please state the colour variations.
10. If no to question 8 please state the colours of the TASER used by Devon and Cornwall Constabulary (e.g. yellow and black, blue, black)
11. How many TASERs does Devon and Cornwall Constabulary currently hold?
12. How many times was the TASER used in the following modes in 2012;
a. discharge;
b. arced;
c. drive-stun;
d. red-dot;
e. aimed;
f. not stated
13. How many times was the TASER used by each applicable department/unit within Devon and Cornwall Constabulary in the following modes in 2012;
a. discharge;
b. arced;
c. drive-stun;
d. red-dot;
e. aimed;
f. not stated
The Operations and People Management Departments have provided the following information:
1. How many police officers routinely carry a TASER?
There is no information held on the number of Officers who routinely carry a Taser as this changes on a daily basis, for operational Policing purposes.
2. How many police officers are trained to use a TASER?
670Police Officers are trained in the use of Taser.
Training in the use of Tasers commenced in 2004, Devon and Cornwall Policing area being one of a number of pilot sites across the country where Taser was rolled out. Initially 130 firearms officers were trained and then approximately 30 additional officers were trained in Torquay who also participated in the pilot.
It is the strategic intention to have trained 720 STO officers (Specially Trained Officers) across the force area by 2015. This reflects the number of trained officers required topolice Devon and Cornwall’s very large geographic area, and these officers are spread across the Force.
3. Which departments/units (e.g. Dog Section, Roads Policing Unit) contain officers who routinely carry a TASER?
Armed Response officers within the ‘Local Policing & Partnership Department’ are the only officers who routinely carry a taser. For other departments tasers may be carried due to operational policing purposes and availability
4. In regard to question 3, how many police officers work in these departments/units and how many police officers carry TASER in said departments/units.
Details of the number of officers within the the Local Policing Partnership department are available on the Force website. See Link below:
138 other officers are trained in the use of Taser within the department however there is no information held on the number of Officers who carry a taser as this changes on a daily basis.
5. Out of all police officers in Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, what is the percentage of police officers who routinely carry a TASER?
There is no information held on the number of Officers who routinely carry a taser as this changes on a daily basis, for operational Policing purposes.
6. Please state the methods in which the TASER is carried by police officers (e.g. belt holster, TAC Vest holster, leg holster)
TAC vest holder, belt holster
7. What colour is the personal protection vest worn by officers in each applicable department?
Black in all departments
8. Does the colours of the TASER in Devon and Cornwall Constabulary vary?
No
9. If yes to question 8, please state the colour variations.
N/A
10. If no to question 8 please state the colours of the TASER used by Devon and Cornwall Constabulary (e.g. yellow and black, blue, black)
Yellow/black
11. How many TASERs does Devon and Cornwall Constabulary currently hold?
390
12. How many times was the TASER used in the following modes in 2012;
a. discharge;
b. arced;
c. drive-stun;
d. red-dot;
e. aimed;
f. not stated
13. How many times was the TASER used by each applicable department/unit within Devon and Cornwall Constabulary in the following modes in 2012;
a. discharge;
b. arced;
c. drive-stun;
d. red-dot;
e. aimed;
f. not stated
Usage / Authorised Firearms Officers / Specially Trained Officers / TotalFired / 15 / 68 / 83
Arced / 0 / 2 / 2
Drive Stun / 6 / 13 / 19
Red Dot / 8 / 132 / 140
Drawn Aimed / 0 / 32 / 32
Total / 29 / 247 / 276
Taser is not a replacement for existing personal safety tactical options, but as an option that should be considered alongside other personal safety tactical options, such as negotiation, batons and incapacitants.
It has been demonstrated that where Taser has been used, it has contributed to the effective resolution of incidents.
The level of force used must always be the minimum necessary to achieve the objective and as with any scenario in which officers use force to exercise their duties, they are individually accountable in law for the amount of force they use on a person.
Tactical options do not constitute a hierarchy of lawful force and are a range of approved options from which the most proportionate and appropriate should be selected, according to the circumstances that prevail.