Taser Information S

heetWhat is a Taser?

Taser is the brand name of a ‘Conducted Energy Weapon’. It is yellow in colour and hand held.

When are they used?

Tasers can be used by police officers in situations where there is a ‘risk of serious injury’ to yourself, another, or police.

Police officers are trained to utilise the most appropriate use of force options to resolve a situation.

Why are they used?

Tasers are used by police officers to resolve dangerous and violent situations where persons are threatening self harm or harming others.

How are they used?

Tasers, when used, operate for five seconds and cause a person to lose control of their muscles. The presentation of a Taser by a police officer has been shown to resolve a majority of incidents.

What training do officers receive?

Taser training is part of Operational Skills and Tactics training which police officers attend yearly to qualify to carry a Taser. The training also covers communication skills, particularly when and how to warn people before firing a Taser.

What checks and balances are in place?

Every time a Taser is taken out of its holster - whether it is fired or not – the incident is reviewed by the Queensland Police Service and the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC).

General information

There have been significant changes to policy surrounding the use of Tasers. The effective use of a Taser can quickly gain control of a person who needs immediate intervention.

Before a Taser can be used by a police officer, there must be a ‘risk of serious injury’ to the individual, another or to a police officer.

A single activation of a Taser is characterised by one five second cycle. Greater levels of scrutiny are applied to multiple or prolonged Taser usage.

Officers are made aware that Tasers should not be used in certain circumstances, except in extreme cases where there is no other reasonable option to avoid imminent risk of serious injury.

‘Probe mode’ is the actual firing of probes which causes involuntary muscle contractions and momentary loss of mobility. Tasers are not to be targeted at certain areas of the body, unless it is unavoidable.

‘Drive stun mode’ uses direct contact of the Taser to the body or clothing of a person, causing discomfort to the area where the device is applied. ‘Drive stun mode’ does not significantly affect the central nervous system and does not immobilise a person.

Officers must attend and pass Taser training yearly to qualify to carry a Taser. Training encompasses both theory and practical usage of the Taser.

Police are not to use two or more Tasers on the one person at the same time.

Occasions will arise where it might be necessary to use a Taser on a person with a mental illness. Officers are advised when responding to such incidents to ensure the assistance of an ambulance is requested and where possible discuss options with mental health professionals.

Police are to conduct a First Aid medical assessment of every person immediately after they are Tasered.

All police officers have the opportunity to undertake voluntary Taser exposures during training to best understand how the device works and how it can affect people.

Taser use is currently monitored at various levels. Usage is subject to layers of scrutiny at the local, district, regional and state level.

For more information:

http://www.police.qld.gov.au/News+and+Alerts/campaigns/taser/