There's been a massive rise in the use and abuse by the UK's police with their new Taser toy, so much so, that the Home Office don't even publish details of it's use in public any more, and Channel4 News had to use the Freedom of Information request to get the details the police and home office are trying to hide. The Tasers are being used increasingly on innocent people by trigger happy police. Tasers are gadgets for state sponsored torture.
Additional: Last year, two-thirds of the country's police forces fired Tasers significantly more - some by up to 800 per cent - than in the preceding year, a Channel 4 News investigation can disclose.
Additional: Last year, two-thirds of the country's police forces fired Tasers significantly more - some by up to 800 per cent - than in the preceding year, a Channel 4 News investigation can disclose.
At least 30 of the country's 43 forces discharged the controversial firearm - which sends out a 50,000 volt shock either by emitting two darts or placing the stun gun directly onto the body - more times than last year.
Forces collectively fired Tasers more than 1,500 times in the year ending March 2011, 70 per cent more than the previous year, with the average force increase 130 per cent.
The findings, accessed through Freedom of Information, throw into doubt comments last week by the new Metropolitan Police commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, who said fewer people are being tasered by officers.
Mr Hogan-Howe was arguing that every Met police car should have a Taser in it following an incident in which four police officers were stabbed in a butcher's shop in north west London. At present, only trained firearms officers are equipped with Taser guns.
"We have seen this in other forces around the country. It has not led to more people being tasered, but it does lead to officers and the public being kept safer."
Amnesty International described the new set of figures as "alarming" and queried Mr Hogan-Howe's comments.
The organisation urged the Home Office to investigate the reason for the massive increase and called for sweeping changes to the current guidelines, which are issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo).
Spokeswoman Eulette Ewart said: "Amnesty International considers these findings to be particularly alarming, given the level of increase in such a short period of time.
"These findings indicate that there is a clear disparity between the number of firings that occur in some forces compared to others. That indicates that there's a lack of clarity to the guidelines: to when the Taser should be fired and when it shouldn't.
"We are calling for the Home Office to thoroughly review Acpo guidelines in terms of how these Tasers are used, so we would question the comments made by Mr Hogan-Howe." Full story/source
Spokeswoman Eulette Ewart said: "Amnesty International considers these findings to be particularly alarming, given the level of increase in such a short period of time.
"These findings indicate that there is a clear disparity between the number of firings that occur in some forces compared to others. That indicates that there's a lack of clarity to the guidelines: to when the Taser should be fired and when it shouldn't.
"We are calling for the Home Office to thoroughly review Acpo guidelines in terms of how these Tasers are used, so we would question the comments made by Mr Hogan-Howe." Full story/source