TASER: 15 Years on - NPCC Report

SUMMARY REPORT: NPCC WORKING GROUP ON LESS-LETHAL WEAPONS

TASER 15 YEARS ON AN ANALYSIS OF TASER USE IN BRITISH POLICING

JULY 2019

Fifteen years after the first deployment of TASER devices in the UK, and against a backdrop of police officers increasingly dealing with more violent situations, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has undertaken research, looking at how less-lethal devices have been used to date. The analysis is intended to help forces decide how to equip officers to keep in step with the evolving risks they face. The report, “Working Group on Less Lethal Weapons – TASER 15 years on – An analysis of TASER use in British Policing”, is summarised in this paper. It covers a number of areas including assaults on officers, how TASER devices are deployed, other deterrent options, injury data, and officers’ and the public’s attitudes to TASER devices.

The study was led by serving officer Superintendent Ian Drummond-Smith, MSc LPA commander, Specialist Tactical Firearms Commander and Force TASER lead, Devon and Cornwall Police. In all, 50 UK police forces were invited to take part, with 42 participating (where the sample size is smaller this is highlighted).

At a time of heightened concern about violent crime, the data provides operational and empirical insights to assist police forces when assessing the future deployments of less-lethal devices.

TASER DEVICE DEPLOYMENT While all police forces adhere to national guidance around TASER device usage, deployment strategies differ. Six forces offer training to all front-line teams, more train a finite number and four equip only firearms teams with TASER devices.

EVOLVING THREATS Police officers are encountering more dangerous weapons, more often. In the year to May 2019 there were 43,516 knife crime offences - 119 per day – the highest since comparable data was recorded. This represents a steep increase of 80% from March 2013 to 2014, when there were 23,945 offences.

43,516 Knife crime offences for the 12 months ending March 2019

TASER DEVICES 15 YEARS ON

ASSAULTS ON OFFICERS Statistics on officer injuries were supplied by ten UK forces, showing that 27,072 working days were lost in the three years spanning 2014–2016 due to assaults on police staff: equivalent to a cost of £6.6 million in salary alone. The true cost will be higher as the figures don’t include days lost due to limited duties, medical treatment, the provision of reasonable adjustments or backfill overtime.

⅕ At a time when officers are under increased pressure, and with forces adjusting to reduced budgets and staff numbers, finding better ways to prevent injury has clear welfare benefits and can significantly increase team availability. The data from the NPCC report indicates that TASER devices are one of the most effective options forces have to help officers better protect themselves, colleagues, their communities and suspects.

TASER DEVICE USAGE The Home Office publishes TASER device usage data every year. In the UK, ‘usage’ has a broad definition – including drawing the device from its holster, aiming it, turning on the red laser or warning arc, and discharge. A total of 27 forces shared incident data, indicating that TASER devices were used 22,637 times from 2014–16 and was discharged on 4,051 or 17.8% of occasions.

TASER devices allow officers to put distance between themselves and suspects to avoid direct physical confrontation. This ‘room to breathe’ coupled with the deterrent effect of TASER devices, helps de-escalate incidents and pacify suspects. This accounts for the disparity between

the 22,637 uses of the device and the low levels of its discharge. The option to use TASER devices also avoids recourse to other, potentially more injurious deterrents, such as irritant sprays, batons or physical confrontation.

DETERRENTS, ASSOCIATED INJURIES AND TACTICAL EFFECTIVENESS Twenty forces disclosed that 59,041 situations required their officers to use force in 2017. No use of force is risk-free. However, the combination of TASER devices’ effectiveness and low levels of injuries (in officers and subjects) makes it a more compelling option than traditional Personal Protection Equipment.

Types of force used and tactical effectiveness: Physical confrontation was the tactic most used by officers, at 63%, while TASER devices were the second most prevalent at 21%. When it comes to measuring effectiveness, ‘firearms’ at 97% are deemed to be the most effective response, with police dog at 84%, physical confrontation at 84%, AEP at 77%, and TASER devices at 68%, the other most effective use of force options. Indeed, TASER devices were ahead of both batons and irritant spray in this regard.

Officer injuries: Based on data supplied by 20 forces – aside from firearms and Attenuating Energy Projectiles (AEP) – the use of TASER devices results in lower injury levels for officers at 4% compared to 10% for physical confrontation, 11% for baton usage and 16% for irritant spray.

Officer injuries

16%

4% 17%

11 % 9%

10% 13%

11%

30% Suspect injuries

SUMMARY REPORT: NPCC WORKING GROUP ON LESS-LETHAL WEAPONS

(Note that it’s not known when an injury occurred in an incident – for example an assault on an officer may have resulted in a TASER device being used.)

Suspect injuries: As a proportion of use, fewer suspects were injured (9%) when a TASER device was used compared to other force options such as police dogs (30%), irritant spray (17%), baton (13%) and physical confrontation (11%). (Note that if multiple deterrents were used, e.g. a baton prior to a TASER device being discharged, any injury would be reported against both baton and TASER devices).

0.03% of complaints to the IOPC related to TASER devices.

99.97% TASER devices were not mentioned

COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE POLICE The Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) typically instigates investigations based on referrals from police forces or complaints from the public. For the periods 2012/2013, and 2016/2017, of 16,673 referrals made to the IOPC, 4% related to TASER devices. And of the 35,246 complaints made to the IOPC, 0.3% related to TASER devices.

Complaint data was independently supplied to the NPCC by 19 forces. This shows that, in 2015, 53 complaints were made against TASER devices amounting to 1.1% of 4,712 uses of the device by these forces. Of these complaints, 44 were found to have ‘no case to answer’, 8 were withdrawn or dealt with under Local Resolution processes and 1 was deemed to require management action. No officers faced misconduct charges. Overall, the data shows that the vast majority of TASER device deployments proceed without complaint.

POLICE OFFICERS’ ATTITUDES TO TASER DEVICES Police officers are dealing with more challenging, varied and violent situations. And evidence suggests that the changing nature of policing is fuelling support for the wider deployment of TASER devices. In 2016 the Police Federation

of England and Wales surveyed 6,123 82% officers, Devon and Cornwall Police surveyed 380 officers and West Yorkshire Police surveyed 1,569 officers. Aggregated data reveals that 82.1% believe that TASER devices should be made available to front-line officers.

NEXT STEPS The full NPCC report is being published 15 years after the first UK deployment of TASER devices.

It highlights incidents where the police response to a violent situation has been delayed to allow a TASER device-equipped officer to attend. Moving on to argue that members of the public calling 999 expect a swift response from appropriately equipped and trained officers, the report concludes by encouraging forces to review their TASER device arrangements. It’s a case strengthened by the data: that TASER devices can pacify suspects, reduce injuries and help officers better protect themselves, the public and suspects. At a time when serious violence is increasing, sentiment is growing concurrently – among the public and officers – that those in harm’s way should have the individual choice of carrying a less-lethal device.

TASER DEVICES 15 YEARS ON

SUPPORT FOR TASER DEVICES AMONG THE PUBLIC Independent to the NPCC’s TASER device analysis, Opinium Research conducted a public polling exercise among 2,000 adults (weighted to be nationally representative of the population) to identify the UK public’s attitude to TASER devices and their use by police forces. The research shows that the public backs the use of TASER devices, while also highlighting concerns about whether officers are properly equipped to protect them. Furthermore, following the change in government policy to allow probationary officers to apply to carry TASER devices, there’s broad support for this – especially when people are informed that probationary officers deal with everything a fully qualified officer does.

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Perceived threats influence opinions - 81% believe that officers responding to knife crime, serious incidents of violence and terrorist attacks should be equipped with TASER devices

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Officer choice is important - 67% feel that all police officers should be given the option of carrying a TASER device – a 10% increase over 2016 (when the research was last carried out)

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The public supports TASER devices for probationers - 49% agree that probationary officers should have access to TASER devices.

This leaps to 70% when a probationer’s duties are explained

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Location influences expectations - 73% of people expect officers protecting iconic sites, e.g. Parliament, to be equipped with TASER devices; 65% agree those patrolling transport hubs should also be equipped with the device

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Equipment is a concern - 22% feel that the police are poorly equipped to protect them – a 5% increase over 2016

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Approachability is not an issue - 69% would be either very or fairly comfortable in approaching a TASER device-equipped officer

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* Unless otherwise stated, all statistics in this report are sourced from: TASER 15 years on – An analysis of TASER use in British Policing, May 2019, NPCC working group report, Superintendent Ian Drummond-Smith, MSc LPA Commander, Specialist Tactical Firearms Commander, Force TASER lead, Devon and Cornwall Police

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