Currently,conducted energy devices – also known by the brand name Taser – are only carried by members of two elite units,the critical incident response team and the specialist operation group,in metropolitan Melbourne. This means that when a violent or volatile situation arises,these units can be deployed and Tasers used.
But due to the distance of these units from regional Victoria,Tasers were rolled out to officers at 37 stations across regional Victoria in 2018,following trials in Geelong,Bendigo,Morwell,Traralgon,Moe and Ballarat.
On Thursday,Chief Commissioner Shane Patton welcomed the funding boost and said Tasers often proved to be an effective de-escalation tool,bridging the gap between other non-lethal options currently available such as batons and capsicum spray,and firearms.
The chief commissioner said data showed the Tasers already in police hands had been pulled from their holsters at jobs about 1300 times in the past four years. But only 29 per cent of the time had then been fired.
He said arcing a device was often warning enough to resolve a situation.
“Such is the threat of the presence of these,they act as a negotiating tool that de-escalates things,” Mr Patton said.
“Policing is exceptionally dangerous,it’s volatile,it’s unpredictable and no police officer ever wants to discharge their firearm. This is not about more force by police,this is about less force by police.”
Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt assured Victorians that Tasers would not be used as a crowd control measure or on protesters at demonstrations. He said common sense should always be used around which tactical option was most appropriate to the situation confronting police.
“All the Police Association wants for its members and the community is police armed with every single conceivable option that can reduce the need for lethal force and increase the safety of our officers on the street,” Mr Gatt said.
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The use of force-issued stun guns haven’t come without controversy in the past.
In 2010,freedom of information records showed Victorian police officers trained to respond to serious incidents used Taser guns in apparent breach of force policy,including on people doused with or near flammable material,according to confidential police records.
The death ofBrazilian man Roberto Laudisio Curti made headlines in 2012 after he was shocked 14 times by NSW police officers in central Sydney.
In the same year,NSW Ombudsman inquiry found close to a third of people they Tasered were suffering from mental illness and more than half were affected by alcohol or drugs at the time.
Mr Stanton said Liberty Victoria held serious concerns about the mass rollout,particularly to PSOs who generally patrol train stations and have far less training than general duties police.
“Incidents where weapons are used at a stage earlier than necessary is likely to include cases where people are having mental health issues,” he said.
He said police and PSOs needed more training to deal with mentally unwell people in crisis,so that Tasers aren’t used unnecessarily.
“Since the 1990s there has been a worrying culture in Victoria Police of an over-reliance on weapons as opposed to other tactics such as de-escalation,so we’re concerned about rolling Tasers out so broadly,” he said.
The Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association also raised concerns about the rollout. Acting executive officer Scott Drummond said he was concerned Tasers could be used unnecessarily and excessively against people who take drugs and alcohol who already have a complex relationship with law enforcement.
“This policy feels inconsistent with other recent reforms,such as the public intoxication reforms which emphasises a health-based response,not one that may increase harm,” Mr Drummond said.
Police said procurement for the rollout would begin early next year with training scheduled to begin mid-year.
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