Taser consultation snub civil libertarians

Civil libertarians have been outraged with not being invited to a Queensland Police community consultation meeting on the proposed January rollout of tasers for all officers.

Queensland Council for Civil Liberties (QCCL) Vice President Terry O'Gorman said he wasn't suprised at yeaterday's exclusion, as the group had been highly critical of the process of the taser roll out.

"We've lobbied on this matter for six years."

The police said the meeting focused on the training, policy and accountability frameworks put in place by the Queensland Police Service.

"The minister announced the roll out a year ago and any consultation process is going to consist of spin and window dressing," Mr O'Gorman said.

A Queensland Police Union spokesman defended the roll out.

"Tasers have been in use around the world for over ten years and there aren't any issues with the tasers that haven't been discussed."

Quote: But obviously there are issues that haven't been acted upon in the 'community interest' even if they've been discussed by Police and or the Police Union and that is why CCL wanted to consult with them. This just shows Police and Police Union ignorance on the subject of lethal memes and lethal weapons in the community. Of course Police want to belt people with something that is what they do best. However violence just begets violence and what happens is eventually police will get belted back perhaps, (after another senseless death in custody or riot?) What then another Mulrinji white-wash?

Related:

Tasers – Potentially lethal and easy to abuse
Amnesty International has said that industry claims that Taser stun guns are safe and non-lethal do not stand up to scrutiny. The organization called on governments to limit their deployment to life-threatening situations or to suspend their use.

Amnesty: 334 Taser Deaths Since 2001
And back in the United States, Amnesty International is calling for new limits on the use of taser stun guns by law enforcement officials. In a new report, Amnesty says 334 people have been killed by taser weapons since 2001. 90 percent of the victims were unarmed and did not appear to present a serious threat. Some of the people to be shocked by taser weapons include schoolchildren, pregnant women and an elderly person with dementia.

Police slammed over Taser death
In a particularly worrying finding, the report states that one person died of a heart attack 12 days after being shocked by NSW Police.

Guns a jolt from boys in blue
POLICE have already shocked five people with Tasers in the first fortnight of use of the controversial weapon, despite their assurances the stun guns would be a "less-than-lethal alternative" to police pistols.

Brother, sister Tasered 'after vandalism spree'
Police say they had to use a Taser gun on a brother and sister after they allegedly assaulted officers in the Sydney CBD early this morning.

Officers to adopt lethal shock tactics
"The camera-fitted Tasers will protect officers from spurious claims that a weapon was fired inappropriately, while also providing even greater accountability for police.

USA: RENEWED CALL FOR SUSPENSION AS TASER-RELATED DEATHS PASS 150 MARK Amnesty 2006

USA / CANADA: PATTERN OF ABUSE -- SUSPEND USE OF TASER GUNS Amnesty 2004

USA: Amnesty International concerned at use of tasers in Florida Amnesty 2007

Tasers – Potentially lethal and easy to abuse

Amnesty International has said that industry claims that Taser stun guns are safe and non-lethal do not stand up to scrutiny. The organization called on governments to limit their deployment to life-threatening situations or to suspend their use.

The call came as the organization released one of the most detailed reports to date on the safety of the stun gun. The report "USA: Less than lethal?" is being published as the number of people who died after being struck by Tasers in the USA reached 334 between 2001 and August 2008.

"Tasers are not the 'non-lethal' weapons they are portrayed to be," said Angela Wright, US researcher at Amnesty International and author of the report. "They can kill and should only be used as a last resort.

"The problem with Tasers is that they are inherently open to abuse, as they are easy to carry and easy to use and can inflict severe pain at the push of a button, without leaving substantial marks."

Amnesty International’s study – which includes information from 98 autopsies – found that 90 per cent of those who died after being struck with a Taser were unarmed and many did not appear to present a serious threat.

Many were subjected to repeated or prolonged shocks – far more than the five-second "standard" cycle – or by more than one officer at a time. Some people were even shocked for failing to comply with police commands after they had been incapacitated by a first shock.

In at least six of the cases where people died, Tasers were used on individuals suffering from medical conditions such as seizures – including a doctor who had crashed his car when he suffered an epileptic seizure. He died after being repeatedly shocked at the side of the highway when, dazed and confused, he failed to comply with an officer's commands.

Police officers also used Tasers on schoolchildren, pregnant women and even an elderly person with dementia.

In March 2008, an 11-year-old girl with a learning disability was shocked with a Taser after she punched a police officer in the face. The officer had been called to the school in Orange County, Florida, after the child had become disturbed, pushing desks and chairs and spitting at staff.

Existing studies – many of them funded by the industry – have found the risk of these weapons to be generally low in healthy adults. However, these studies are limited in scope and have pointed to the need for more understanding of the effects of such devices on vulnerable people, including those under the influence of stimulant drugs or in poor health.

Recent independently-funded animal studies have found that the use of these kinds of electro-shock weapons can cause fatal arrhythmias in pigs, raising further questions about their safety on human subjects. It was also recently reported that nearly ten per cent of 41 Tasers tested in a study commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, delivered significantly more current than the manufacturer said was possible, underscoring the need for independent verification and testing of such devices.

Although most of the 334 deaths nationwide have been attributed to factors such as drug intoxication, medical examiners and coroners have concluded that Taser shocks caused or contributed to at least 50 of these deaths.

"We are very concerned that electro-shock weapons such as Tasers have been rolled out for general use before rigorous, independent testing of their effects," said Angela Wright.

Related:

Police slammed over Taser death
In a particularly worrying finding, the report states that one person died of a heart attack 12 days after being shocked by NSW Police.

Guns a jolt from boys in blue
POLICE have already shocked five people with Tasers in the first fortnight of use of the controversial weapon, despite their assurances the stun guns would be a "less-than-lethal alternative" to police pistols.

Brother, sister Tasered 'after vandalism spree'
Police say they had to use a Taser gun on a brother and sister after they allegedly assaulted officers in the Sydney CBD early this morning.

Officers to adopt lethal shock tactics
"The camera-fitted Tasers will protect officers from spurious claims that a weapon was fired inappropriately, while also providing even greater accountability for police.

USA: RENEWED CALL FOR SUSPENSION AS TASER-RELATED DEATHS PASS 150 MARK Amnesty 2006

USA / CANADA: PATTERN OF ABUSE -- SUSPEND USE OF TASER GUNS Amnesty 2004

USA: Amnesty International concerned at use of tasers in Florida Amnesty 2007

Officers to adopt lethal shock tactics

USA: RENEWED CALL FOR SUSPENSION AS TASER-RELATED DEATHS PASS 150 MARK Amnesty 2006

NSW POLICE will be issued with high-tech Taser stun guns to combat violent and volatile criminals and drug addicts.

After a two-year trial, the NSW Government is spending $1 million on 229 new Tasers to give officers in high-risk confrontations the option of using "less than lethal force".

The move - cautiously welcomed by the Police Association - comes 21 months after former police minister Carl Scully predicted a Taser for every one of the state's 15,200 officers.

It follows a successful trial of 50 of the weapons by the state's elite riot squad and Tactical Operations Unit.

It's almost certain to be followed by a widespread roll-out of the weapons, which are loved by the Police Association and loathed by civil libertarians.

USA / CANADA: PATTERN OF ABUSE -- SUSPEND USE OF TASER GUNS Amnesty 2004

The Tasers will be fitted with video cameras to record their use.

Police Minister David Campbell said Tasers would be issued to senior police within a couple of months to "ensure better protection for officers and to reduce avoidable deaths in high-risk situations".

"This is a less-than-lethal option, which can be used by police to subdue dangerous offenders and resolve volatile situations, making the streets safer for NSW families," Mr Campbell said.

"Police are on the frontline dealing with serious offenders every day and the NSW Government has a duty to provide them with the best protection available. The new-model Tasers are fitted with a special video system, which films when the Taser is used.

"The camera-fitted Tasers will protect officers from spurious claims that a weapon was fired inappropriately, while also providing even greater accountability for police.

"I am confident that the strategic roll-out and strict guidelines and training in Taser use will ensure that these weapons provide greater safety for police and the community."

Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said 2000 senior police officers would be trained in the safe use of the Taser.

"There has been rigorous assessment of this rollout driven by the NSW Police Safety Command, which conducted a risk review of the extended use of Tasers," he said.

The Police Association welcomed the Taser roll-out but said it did not go far enough.

President Bob Pritchard said every frontline officer needed one.

"I call on the Minister to commit to a far more ambitious roll-out of Tasers - one that gives all frontline officers access to them and training in their use," Mr Pritchard said. "We've campaigned on this issue for years and we're no strangers to the misleading and unhelpful fallacies put forward by Taser opponents.

"Tasers are about giving police a non-lethal option in the most dangerous situations - where human life is at stake.

"The fact too often forgotten in this debate is that Tasers save lives.

"As it stands, police can be faced with the choice of killing, or being killed by an armed assailant.

"Tasers would give police a vital third option."

USA: Amnesty International concerned at use of tasers in Florida Amnesty 2007