A less lethal weapon? As Taser use is rolled out across London, the public has much to fear

‘Should the police have more Tasers in London? It’s an important question to ask, especially of those who may be subjected to their use. The arguments for more Tasers would be that Tasers are a less lethal option compared to a firearm. The arguments against their increased availability is that they would be seen to arm the police by stealth and have the potential to cause seriously injury.

So why were Londoners not consulted before the Commissioner embarked on his ‘Taser Roll-Out Programme’? That was one of the questions put to both the Commissioner and the Deputy Mayor of London as they gave evidence to the Police and Crime Committee’s Taser Working Group in June. Today, the Committee publishes their fundings, ‘Arming the Met, the deployment of less lethal weapons in London’. The report criticises not only the ambiguity over the decision-making process but the lack of data transparency and information given to the public.

But will these criticisms be enough to halt ‘Total Tasering’? It’s no secret that the Commissioner will continue with his ‘Total Policing’ agenda, especially as there does not seem to be any resistance from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, the policing body elected to hold the Commissioner to account. If the Mayor continues to sell the pass ‘Total Tasering’ will become a reality and will lead to policing the Capital by force.’

Read more: A less lethal weapon? As Taser use is rolled out across London, the public has much to fear