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Jersey Scrutiny Question
The deployment of Taser Devices by Guernsey Police as a tactical option is subject to strict criteria. The devices are routinely carried by firearms officers, as a less lethal option, in operations meeting the criteria for the deployment of armed officers. The criteria are set by the ACPO Manual of Guidance on the Management, Command and Deployment of Armed Officers. The criteria are as follows;
The deployment of armed officers should only be authorised in the following circumstances:
Where the officer authorising the deployment has reason to suppose that officers may have to protect themselves or others from a person who;
- Is in possession of, or has immediate access to, a firearm or other potentially lethal weapon, or
- Is otherwise so dangerous that the deployment of armed officers is considered to be appropriate, or
- As an operational contingency in a specific operation (based on threat assessment), or
- For the destruction of animals which are dangerous or are suffering unnecessarily.
In addition Taser Devices may also be deployed to incidents not meeting the criteria for the deployment of firearms but only when there is;
Reason to suppose officers may have to protect the public, themselves and / or the subject(s) at incidents of violence or threats of violence of such severity that they will need to use force.
Currently the only officers trained and accredited in the use of Taser Devices within the Guernsey Police are Authorised Firearms Officers. In the UK this training has been rolled out to other specially trained officers. Guernsey Police policy states that an authority to deploy officers with Taser Devices, either with or without conventional firearms, can only be granted by an officer who is a trained and accredited Tactical Firearms Commander.
Whilst it is notable that 2011 saw a rise in the authorisation and deployment of Taser Devices this must be viewed in conjunction with a rise in the number of authorised firearms deployments.
The rise in firearms deployments resulted from a combination of a rise in the number of incidents meeting the criteria for deployment, together with a review of the force's strategic threat and risk assessment, which saw more deployments authorised as an operational contingency. Following the
review the decision was taken to authorise the deployment of an armed response vehicle, as an operational contingency, at large scale public events and at other times whereby evidence suggested a possible increased demand for these resources. The increase in the number of firearms deployments has consequently seen a rise in the number of times on which Taser is deployed.
In addition the force's control room inspectors received training as spontaneous Tactical Firearms Commanders. This has ensured the more timely deployment of specialist officers to incidents, which having received strict assessment against the aforementioned criteria, are deemed to require a firearms or Taser response. Consequently there has been a slight increase in the number of authorised deployments.