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'Detailed Taser Use Statistics'.
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Direct Communications Unit
2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF
Switchboard 020 7035 4848 Fax: 020 7035 4745 Textphone: 020 7035 4742
E-mail: [Home Office request email] Website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk
[FOI #18561 email]
Mr HMP Britain
Reference: T16811/9
15 October 2009
Dear Mr Britain,
Thank you for your e-mail of 27 September 2009 in which you ask for information about Taser. Your request has been handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
We believe the information you have asked for is already reasonably accessible to you. The information can be accessed by the links listed below.
The police use of Taser in England and Wales has shown that it provides an additional and less lethal option for police when dealing with violent or threatening situations. We are clear that it is vitally important we take a rigorous approach to agreeing any extension to the use of Taser.
Each use of Taser is recorded on a comprehensive form designed to capture data which can be used to monitor its use from a medical and operational perspective. These Taser Deployment Forms are sent by individual police forces every time a Taser is used to the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB). A copy of the form is also sent to the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). Taser use is defined by ACPO Operational Guidance December 2008 policy section 5.2 (available at
The Home Office Scientific Development Branch gathers the information provided on the forms and collates quarterly figures on usage. They have so far published six quarterly cumulative sets of figures (starting from March 2008) on the use of Taser in England and Wales which can be found here:
These publications show the overall increase in the use of Taser by police force area in England and Wales.
We need to be wholly confident about the medical implications of any extension to Taser, to protect both the public and police officers. That is why the announcement to extend the use of Taser only followed the receipt of independent medical advice (http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/operational-policing/taser-domill-statement), and why the extension is to specially trained units only.
DOMILL (the Defence Scientific Advisory Council Sub Committee on the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons) has concluded that the risk of death or serious injury from the use of Tasers within ACPO Guidance and Policy is very low.
Recent information on the use of Taser where the subject was under 18 years of age can be found in response to Parliamentary Questions at:
and
Details on the location of barb application points, subject details (age, gender, height, physical frame/build), a breakdown of injuries and those who received medical treatment, are published in the12 month trial evaluation of the deployment of Taser by Specially Trained Units. The HOSDB Trial Evaluation can be found here:
A more comprehensive analysis of the trial data collected by HOSDB will be published early next year.
We wholly support the current restricted limited operational use of Taser by trained officers in accordance with ACPO guidance. There is a very rigorous selection procedure for officers which is fully set out in the ACPO guidance.
Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act exempts the Home Office from complying with the duty to supply you with the above information on the grounds that it is already in the public domain. Should you have difficulties in accessing this information by the links provided please do not hesitate to contact me again.
If you are dissatisfied with this response you may request an independent internal review of our handling of your request by submitting your complaint within two months to the address below quoting reference CR12997:
Information Rights Team
Information and Record Management Service
Home Office
4th Floor, Seacole Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Email: [email address]
During the independent review the department's handling of your information request will be reassessed by staff who were not involved in providing you with this response. Should you remain dissatisfied after this internal review, you will have a right of complaint to the Information Commissioner as established by section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act.
I hope that you find this information of interest, and would like to assure you that you have been supplied with all relevant information that the Home Office holds.
Yours sincerely
Mr A Lama
Public Order Unit