Police tasers used on kids and over 80s

Posted by GLA Conservatives in News   Share2015

Jun
1

LA-style taser cameras would remove ‘grey areas’ and cut litigation

Police Tasers are being used on kids as young as 13 and elderly people over 80 in London, according to new figures obtained by GLA Conservative Andrew Boff.

In 2013 and 2014, the gunlike devices were:
  • Fired at 11 people over 60
  • Aimed at a further 29 people over 60 – including 2 x 85 year olds
  • Fired at 2 kids aged 14
  • Aimed at 13 kids aged 13 or 14
 
Andrew Boff, Leader of the GLA Conservatives, said:

“Tasers are an important tool in public safety. Wielded by a trained officer in an incident, they can help reduce harm to bystanders, the police, and even the person being fired on in an incident. Without context, the use of a Taser is questionable on elderly people or kids as young as 14, which is why the Met should invest in technologies that would remove any grey areas. Body-worn cameras triggered by the use of the Taser would capture the events leading to a needed intervention. They have been shown to increase accountability whilst reducing complaints, protecting both police officers and the most vulnerable in society.”

New technology, already used by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), allows for Tasers to link up with body-worn cameras. The camera is automatically activated when the Taser is taken from the holster. A 30-second buffer allows the recording of events that occurred before the Taser was even drawn. This technology should be a requirement for all future Taser and camera purchases.

Notes:
  • In 2013 and 2014, the Met used Tasers in 4,105 incidents, including firing them 503 times.