Brisbane cops to get Tasers

Following the trial of Tasers among Queensland's Special Emergency Response Team, they are now being introduced to all duty police officers in the Brisbane and south-east police regions, according to a joint statement issued by Queensland police minister Judy Spence and Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson.

The extension of the use of Tasers to ordinary police is part of a 12-month trial which will begin on July 1. The minister claimed in a March 29 media release, "This trial is about ensuring the safety of police and all members of the public".

The press release explained that Tasers use an electrical current "transmitted either by placing the Taser directly against the person or via the firing of two barbed electrodes, each of which trails a small wire, into the subject's body".

Those on the receiving end of a Taser attack typically fall to the ground and wet themselves. Injuries often occur due to the collapse of the victim against solid objects or pavements, which can result in broken bones or head injuries. A 2006 Amnesty International report linked 156 deaths in the US to the use of Tasers by police.

From GLW issue 706