Northamptonshire Police may issue Tasers to all front-line officers
Northamptonshire Police Chief Constable Nick Adderley is considering issuing Taser to all frontline officers to curb the number of assaults on staff, which have risen by 50 per cent in the past two years.
In one incident a police constable suffered life-changing nerve damage after being bitten by a dog, which was deliberately set on him. Another officer had half an ear bitten off while making an arrest.
Mr Adderley told The Mirror newspaper: “It’s become culturally acceptable to inflict that level of injury on the police. If things don’t change my force will be the first in the country to arm all frontline officers with Tasers.”
Only around a quarter of officers at most police forces are currently trained to use Taser.
In 2017/18, 72 attacks on police officers were recorded every day across England and Wales. The total of 26,295 assaults represented a 34 per cent rise from 2013, when the figure was 19,670. However, many believe the true figure is far higher due to under-reporting.
Mr Adderley believes the trend is being caused by funding cuts and a decline in police officer numbers –with 21,000 lost since 2010.
He said: “Even criminals are aware that officers are thin on the ground.”
He believes a government-led programme to inspire young people to respect police officers could help ease the problem.
