Weapons

ANALYSIS: In the second in a two-part series marking the 30th anniversary of the police use of TASER, Policing Insight’s James Sweetland explores the current less-lethal weapons marketplace – dominated in the UK by TASER – and looks at concerns about monopoly supply, whether competition is crucial to driving efficiency and technology, and what the less-lethal alternatives could be, drawing on interviews with NPCC less-lethal weapons lead Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi, Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber, and others.

ANALYSIS: In the first of a two-part feature marking the 30th anniversary of police use of TASER, Policing Insight’s James Sweetland explores the global growth of this tool, what it offers policing, and concerns about racial disproportionality and use in mental health incidents – drawing on interviews with National Police Chiefs’ Council less-lethal weapons lead Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi, Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber, and others.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Sign up for the Axon Roadshow to try out Axon technology experiences and for the opportunity for you, as policing professionals, to give us direct feedback. The interactive experiences include the TASER 10 Firing Range, Axon Air Flight Center, Virtual Reality Simulator, and the Axon Fleet 3 vehicle demonstration.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Find out about the Axon Roadshow, coming to the UK for the first time, and Axon Innovate UK – our exciting events this September for those in public safety organisations. Learn more details and find registration links to secure your spot.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Learn how West Midlands Police, one of the largest police forces in the UK, invested in Axon’s advanced ecosystem of policing technology to create a more efficient, better-equipped force.

FEATURE: With police tactical response units using the latest hi-tech equipment that often shares striking similarities with military kit, new Canadian research has highlighted the impact that such an appearance and approach can have on public trust in the police, as University of Waterloo PhD Candidate Tandeep Sidhu explains.

FEATURE: The latest report into use of force by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has recommended reconsidering the issuing of firearms to all officers, and restricting the use of Tasers; but the Police Federation has warned that such moves would lead to more officers being attacked and injured, particularly with the continuing terrorist threat, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Front-line police deserve to be protected by equipment that not only protects them, but the public too. TASER technology is one of the most studied, safe and effective means of quickly stopping a threat. In this article, we’ll dig into the research around TASER energy devices and address misconceptions and myths.

ANALYSIS: Last week, the Home Secretary announced that volunteer police officers in England and Wales will be authorised to carry Taser, but is it the right move and will it happen? Policing Insight's Contributing Editor Tina Orr Munro reports.

FEATURE: A Long-Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) was used by ACT officers in Canberra last week as part of the policing operation dealing with vaccine mandate protests, prompting a range of concerns and claims about the damage done by the device; composer, artist and sonic expert Lawrence English, a Research Fellow at Queensland’s Griffith University, explains the workings and limitations of LRADs.

FEATURE: The police use of Taser has been a topic of much debate, with widening training and deployment, the intense scrutiny, and a lack of understanding about less lethal weapons among both the media and the public some of the key issues; many of those points were raised during a recent #WeCops debate on less lethal weapons, which is summarised in this article by PC Francesca Tamblyn, Taser Lead Instructor for Dorset Police and one of the hosts of the debate.

FEATURE: A recent Independent Office for Police Conduct report made a raft of recommendations based on a review of 101 cases of the police use of Taser over a five-year period; but the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Police Federation have both criticised the report for being ‘vague’, ‘statistically insignificant’ and failing to engage with policing, as Policing Insight Editor Keith Potter reports.

Interview: The company behind the TASER  X2 hopes its latest device will boost public reassurance and police accountability, but Matt Spencer, MD, Axon Public Safety, says changes to the latest model are just the beginning of a technological revolution in policing.