Following your evidence to the Policing Board at its September 2020 meeting that PSNI officers draw their firearms approximately 250 times per annum, what is your assessment of how often it would have been appropriate for officers to deploy a taser instead of a firearm, had a taser been available?
Police Officers are trained in a range of tactical options in relation to the need to use force. In doing so they are trained in the use and application of the National Decision Making Model (NDMM) in what are sometimes dynamic decisions.
Any deployment of the use of force is recorded on the recognised service electronic ‘use of force monitoring system’.
The test for Conducted Energy Devices (CED) such as Taser is contained within PSNI’s Conflict Management Manuel at Chapter 12.79 and states:
‘The use of Taser will be justified where the officer honestly and reasonably believes that it is necessary in order to prevent a risk of death or serious injury’.
Only an officer trained in the use of Taser will know if this tactic may or may not have been a potential option in these 250 incidents. Therefore, the use of a Personal Protection Weapon (PPW) instead of a CED is not recorded and without interviewing each of the officers involved in the specific incidents; it would be extremely difficult to assess each specific case.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has recommended an increase in CED capability in PSNI. PSNI are considering the recommendation and associated options.
Prior to receipt of the HMICFRS Report, at an internal governance board on 28 July it was agreed that, whilst an increase in CED may be required (the Operational Business Case is currently being developed), that roll out to front line officers was not practical at that time and that any uplift would be to Armed Response Unit Officers within already existing Command Protocols.