Following the Fourth Report of the Steering Group, published in March 2005, the Government gave a commitment to introduce AEPs into all UK police forces as a less lethal replacement for the L21A1 baton round. In March 2005, following a lengthy debate, the Policing Board voted to endorse the Chief Constable’s decision to introduce the AEP for use by the PSNI.
At the time of the Policing Board’s decision, a number of interested parties raised concern about the impact of AEPs on children. The Policing Board continues to work with the PSNI and other interested parties to address these concerns.
Deployment of AEPs continues to be examined by the Police Ombudsman. The Policing Board’s Human Rights Advisor monitors the PSNI’s use of AEPs and findings are reported in the Human Rights Annual Report.
