All complaints about use of Tasers to be referred to the IPCC

PR 1517         All complaints about use of Tasers to be referred to the IPCC

5th May 2009

Following the publication of an IPCC report in to the use of Tasers (in November 2008) the IPCC has today announced that all complaints made to police forces involving the use of Tasers should be referred to the IPCC as a matter of course. This automatic referral will take effect from 1 June 2009.

IPCC deputy chair and commissioner with national responsibility for firearms, Deborah Glass, said:

“For police officers dealing with violent situations, there is no such thing as a safe option – all equipment carries risks.

“As the independent body responsible for maintaining public confidence in the police complaints system, we are monitoring the continued roll-out of Taser very closely.

“Our conclusion when the wider roll-out was announced was that the level of public complaints about the use of Taser was low, especially when compared with the number of instances where its use has saved lives or prevented injuries. But we are very aware that the use of Taser carries the risk of misuse, and the public will rightly be concerned about this. We have therefore asked all forces to refer any complaints about the use of Taser to us. We also encourage all forces to explain to the public the circumstances in which Taser might be deployed, and that people have a right to complain if they feel the use of force was excessive.

“This will allow us to monitor allegations of misuse and investigate the most serious cases. As guardian of the police complaints system we will be able to analyse the information from complaints to get a clear picture of the areas of public concern and ensure these are raised, so that they can be addressed in a timely way. We will also publish our findings.

“Our research last year showed that the use of the Taser in ‘drive-stun’ mode (directly against the body) generates most complaints and have recommended to the Association of Chief Police Officers that there is a need for more training and better guidance for police on this. We will be looking to see if this is effective in reducing complaints.  

This change in policy follows the national roll out of Taser capabilities to specially trained units (as opposed to authorised firearms officers) announced by the Home Office in November 2008.

Normally forces are required to refer all incidents of death or serious injury arising from police contact to the IPCC. Complaints arising from use of force are not usually required to be referred to the IPCC unless they result in death or serious injury. However following on from the IPCC's role in the Home Office's Taser trial, all complaints relating to Tasers will now be referred to the IPCC.

The IPCC's full report on Tasers, published last November can be found on the IPCC website at :http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/index/resources/research/reports_firearms.htm

-ENDS-

Notes for editors

No interviews available

For further information please contact:

Charlotte Philips, Head of News

Tel: 0207 166 3932

Email: charlotte.phillips@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk

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