Patrol Officers to carry Tazers

wombleboi · 17-06-2009, 10:27 PM

I'm also a Police officer who's applied and been given a course for a Taser. Only 4 people on my rota (of around 20) were allowed to be selected for the course. It's a four day course and I'm looking forward to it, and am hoping it will give me an insight to whether I'd like to give the ARVs a shot sometime.
Saying that, there are people on my team (generally slightly older) who (a) have stated openly they'd never use their CS gas and (b) wouldn't agree to take a taser out, so I guess the job would have to overcome those issues if they were to introduce a force-wide roll out, which I am against - doing conflict training with some PCs is scary enough!

Gorillanobaka1977 · 05:13 AM

Guys...Wake up...Tasers ,teasers,Kissers ,caresers...slap on the wrist..What is this gonna do to help promoting the respect toward the law and the police officers??

Exactly F-all.

Why??

Lemme elaborate:

Somebody up there in his unlimitated wisdom has forgotten a simply fact of life..Some people might respect the Ideia of Police,Some might respect the Law...Some the badge..But everyone RESPECTS THE GUN...

Nowadays when emigration in UK reaches alarming cotes and stuff,with people comming from all over the map and most of the time from countryes where the police is armed and not particullary shy about using the gun or the force ,well when they get to Uk this will be like the criminal`s heaven..

In my country for example it is very normal for the police to be armed with guns ,they allways patrol in couple never alone AND BEHIND them there WILL ALWAYS BE A GEANDARME armed with an AKM...
http://www.observator.ro/images/2009/mai/incidente.jpg

Just let me ask you a simple question:What do you guys think these troublemakers will do and think when they will see the UK`s representant of law The Plastic Bobbie ???
Armed with a smile and a taser maximum range 20 feet or 6 meters and afraid of using them for not beeing sued...

I can only tell you my reaction (And please bear in mind i am very law obiding citizen) ,they look naked to me and allways make me smile..And you know the funny part?? They smile back thinking i am beeing friendly ....

Lemme say it once again...most of the foreigners are coming from country with a lot more violent background than UK ...Countries where using a weapon is considered normal....And if we are taking Africa or ex comunist countries you will get the ideia..

In my humble opinion what the British Police needs is guns not tasers-teasers...

But then again i might be wrong...

SCUFFER · 11-07-2009, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gorillanobaka1977

Guys...Wake up...Tasers ,teasers,Kissers ,caresers...slap on the wrist..What is this gonna do to help promoting the respect toward the law and the police officers??

Exactly F-all.

Why??

Lemme elaborate:

Somebody up there in his unlimitated wisdom has forgotten a simply fact of life..Some people might respect the Ideia of Police,Some might respect the Law...Some the badge..But everyone RESPECTS THE GUN...

Nowadays when emigration in UK reaches alarming cotes and stuff,with people comming from all over the map and most of the time from countryes where the police is armed and not particullary shy about using the gun or the force ,well when they get to Uk this will be like the criminal`s heaven..

In my country for example it is very normal for the police to be armed with guns ,they allways patrol in couple never alone AND BEHIND them there WILL ALWAYS BE A GEANDARME armed with an AKM...
http://www.observator.ro/images/2009/mai/incidente.jpg

Just let me ask you a simple question:What do you guys think these troublemakers will do and think when they will see the UK`s representant of law The Plastic Bobbie ???
Armed with a smile and a taser maximum range 20 feet or 6 meters and afraid of using them for not beeing sued...

I can only tell you my reaction (And please bear in mind i am very law obiding citizen) ,they look naked to me and allways make me smile..And you know the funny part?? They smile back thinking i am beeing friendly ....

Lemme say it once again...most of the foreigners are coming from country with a lot more violent background than UK ...Countries where using a weapon is considered normal....And if we are taking Africa or ex comunist countries you will get the ideia..

In my humble opinion what the British Police needs is guns not tasers-teasers...

But then again i might be wrong...

I'm afraid Gorilla that I have to disagree with you on pretty much all of your comments. I just don't think it is quite a simple and as cut and dry as you suggest.

I don't agree that everybody respects the gun. I think most civilians fear guns. A great number of Agencies across the world use the threat of lethal force being used against their population to gain compliance. And do you think that this gains respect? It doesn't get close to respect. It breeds a deep underlying contempt for Police Officers. I have been told by tourists when on duty in London that they wouldn't even consider asking a Police Officer for the time in their own countries. Because you simply stay away from them. That is not the answer to gaining respect, it has to be gained from a catalogue of mediums. For example by having an approachable, professional and capable law enforcement agency, backed up by a Justice system that the public understand and that is proportionate. A justice system that deters people from reoffending. At the moment we don't have this in UK. That is one of a number of things that we have wrong here. Firearms have a place in UK law enforcement. In the hands of our specially trained and capable AFO's.

But on the whole I am proud to be a British Police Officer. I don't wear it anymore but at one time I wore the custodian helmet of the Metropolitan Police 'or the plastic bobbie' as you so eloquently put it. And I dealt with people coming from dangerous countries in the same way every British copper does. We dug in and got on with the job with the support of our Armed colleagues. There is a lot to be proud of in this country in respect of Policing. Lets not do ourselves a disservice.

Stay safe,

Scuffer.

Peterb78 · 11-07-2009, 01:00 PM

I would agree with the police carrying Tazers. It has already been used over here in NZ and on the initial trial it was proved to be an effective deterrent. In most cases where it was drawn it was not even discharged as the laser sight painting the target was enough to bring compliance. This can only be a good outcome as no physical force was needed to make an effective arrest.

You only have to look at some of the CCTV footage of what goes on in an average city at night to realise that the police are often at a disadvantage. It is nice to think that the old romantic view of a criminal realising they have been caught and saying "it's a fair cop guv" could ever happen but that is really a figment of classic British cinema, not real life. So what can the police do? They can of course shout "Stop in the name of the law or I will...... shout stop again!" or you can give them tools which will ultimately make the whole process of arrest safer for all concerned.

I am not sure why Amnesty International are jumping up and down over this. They don't seem to have a problem over in NZ where patrol cars carry a firearm or indeed Australia where police are routinely and overtly armed. There was recently a police shooting in Auckland where an unarmed person did get shot but this was during the apprehension of stolen car where the occupants had already opened fire on other road users. It was unfortunate the the person was shot but he did chose to be in a stolen car with others that were taking pot shots at the general public.

Criminals have become well armed and have little respect for the law so the police need tools to make thing easier and safer for all. If this means carrying Tazers then as a law abiding citizen I have no need to worry at being on the receiving end of such a device.

JC - I am not sure about feeling 20 years younger after being zapped but have yet to try that experience. I did after all offer myself as target practise for that air-soft rifle so I may be talked into trying a tazer for research purposes and to compare notes (supply of beer and ammo should do it!). God knows I could do with feeling 20 years younger right now

charlie85 · 11-07-2009, 01:06 PM

Peter, Do not be drawn in! Airsoft = ouch, Tazer?!!!! soooo much worse!!
Trust me, you don't want to be doing it for a laugh! If you want to feel 20 years younger visit your nearest cosmetic surgeon or find yourself an 18 yr old kiwi girl!!

If however you must go against my advice and place yourself on the receiving end of 50,000 volts of awfulness then please let me know when and where because I need to be there to film it (might hold your beer for you too)

Peterb78 · 11-07-2009, 01:15 PM

Well I did go out with a 24 year old kiwi lass a few years ago, at my age any lower and it would definately be cradle snatching and it is no fun being mistaken for her dad!

Well I am always up for a challenge (as the air-soft incident proved) and can't be any worse than getting a 3 phase 415v shock which I can certainly say is an experience I would not want to repeat and most certainly not as lethal!

Are you a sadist by any chance? You sick puppy

Gorillanobaka1977 · 11-07-2009, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCUFFER

I'm afraid Gorilla that I have to disagree with you on pretty much all of your comments. I just don't think it is quite a simple and as cut and dry as you suggest.

I don't agree that everybody respects the gun. I think most civilians fear guns. A great number of Agencies across the world use the threat of lethal force being used against their population to gain compliance. And do you think that this gains respect? It doesn't get close to respect. It breeds a deep underlying contempt for Police Officers. I have been told by tourists when on duty in London that they wouldn't even consider asking a Police Officer for the time in their own countries. Because you simply stay away from them. That is not the answer to gaining respect, it has to be gained from a catalogue of mediums. For example by having an approachable, professional and capable law enforcement agency, backed up by a Justice system that the public understand and that is proportionate. A justice system that deters people from reoffending. At the moment we don't have this in UK. That is one of a number of things that we have wrong here. Firearms have a place in UK law enforcement. In the hands of our specially trained and capable AFO's.

But on the whole I am proud to be a British Police Officer. I don't wear it anymore but at one time I wore the custodian helmet of the Metropolitan Police 'or the plastic bobbie' as you so eloquently put it. And I dealt with people coming from dangerous countries in the same way every British copper does. We dug in and got on with the job with the support of our Armed colleagues. There is a lot to be proud of in this country in respect of Policing. Lets not do ourselves a disservice.

Stay safe,

Scuffer.

Well definately that`s the difference between our police and British police...I am not saying that the British police is less professional or Romanian police is more professional by beeing armed.Point is as a kid I grow used seeing police beeing armed..Seeing police unarmed here is strange..

The Hetrow guys carrying Heckler & Koch look more real to me...

Stay safe Scuffer

TommyS · 11-07-2009, 03:12 PM

Harty

Get that baby out as often as you can and have many years of happy tazering.

Support your local plod

TommyS

charlie85 · 11-07-2009, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peterb78

Well I did go out with a 24 year old kiwi lass a few years ago, at my age any lower and it would definately be cradle snatching and it is no fun being mistaken for her dad!

Well I am always up for a challenge (as the air-soft incident proved) and can't be any worse than getting a 3 phase 415v shock which I can certainly say is an experience I would not want to repeat and most certainly not as lethal!

Are you a sadist by any chance? You sick puppy

Ha ha ha!! No not a sadist, just interested in differing reactions. I have video of myself getting the good news from an x26 so I will bring that along and we can compare afterwards!!!

RocketDodger · 19-07-2009, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charlie85

Ha ha ha!! No not a sadist, just interested in differing reactions. I have video of myself getting the good news from an x26 so I will bring that along and we can compare afterwards!!!

Bloody Hell, Charlie85 !!!

You have a video ??

Can see a role for you as the Home Counties Police Forces 'Crash Test Dummy', whenever it's necessary in training to demonstrate CS, Pepper or a Tazer they could rolll you out for the demo !

As you're interested in 'experiences' have you tried fullbore and full plate body armour yet??

Stay safe Mate

PS Support your local plod!!!