‘
Firearms and Protective Equipment
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Our Ref CFP\7\10\005\016\025\03\001\01- FOI
30-04-10 (10308)
Date
23rd April 2010
Reported and Recorded uses of TASER by Police Forces in England and Wales
The tables on pages 2-4 summarises the number of subjects within each category (ethnicity, accurately
specified ages only, and all ages including those estimated) and lists the number of subjects for each TASER
exposure level per force:. The 3 tables are explained briefly below:
1. Table 2: Subjects exposed to the use1. of TASER per officer defined ethnicity (16+ Ethnic
Classification system) for the period 20 July 2007 to 31 December 2009
2. Table 3: Subjects exposed to the use1. of TASER per age accurately specified (excludes
estimated ages) for the period 20 July 2007 to 31 December 2009
3. Table 4: Subjects exposed to the use1. of TASER per age, including estimated ages, for the
period 20 July 2007 to 31 December 2009.
The total number of subjects exposed to the use1. of TASER over this period totals 5165 individuals. These
are broken down per level of TASER use in table 1 below:
Table 1- Breakdown of TASER per level of use
Level of TASER use1. Count
Percentage
(%)
Total
5165 100.0%
Fired
1307 25.3%
Drive-stun
221 4.3%
Arced
196 3.8%
Red dot
2687 52.0%
Aimed
211 4.1%
Drawn
543 10.5%
NB: Not al forces have participated during these whole periods. Al figures are based on forms detailing deployments between
the stated dates and submitted to HOSDB by 19th April 2010.
1. 'Use' as defined by ACPO: TASER Operational Guidance December 2008 policy section 5.2 which sates:
The term ‘use of the Taser’ will include any of the following actions carried out in an operational setting:
1. Drawing of a Taser in circumstances where any person perceives the action as a use of force.
2. Sparking of the Taser commonly known as “arcing”.
3. Aiming of the Taser or placing the laser sight red dot onto a subject.
4. Firing of a Taser so that the barbs are discharged at a subject.
5. Application and Discharge of a Taser in “drive stun mode” to a subject.
1
Table 2 - Officer defined ethnicity based on 16+ Ethnic Classification System per level of TASER use
Total s
Percentage per level of TASER use
Ethnicity Major
Ethnicity Sub-grouping
Category
Drive-
%
Count
Fired
Arced
Red dot
Aimed
Drawn
stun
Grand Total
100 %
5,165
1,307
221
196
2,687
211
543
White British
73.7%
3,808
926
159
143
2,029
160
391
White
White Irish
0.7%
38
5
1
2
21
1
8
Any other White background
3.3%
168
38
7
12
88
4
19
Total White
77.7%
4,014
969
167
157
2,138
165
418
White and Black Caribbean
1.7%
89
25
8
3
46
1
6
White and Black African
0.4%
19
10
0
0
7
0
2
Mixed
White and Black Asian
0.0%
2
1
0
0
1
0
0
Any other mixed background
0.9%
45
10
1
2
23
4
5
Total Mixed
3.0%
155
46
9
5
77
5
13
Asian - Indian
0.7%
37
15
0
2
13
2
5
Asian or British Asian
Asian - Pakistani
0.9%
46
12
2
0
26
0
6
Asian - Bangladeshi
0.1%
6
0
2
0
3
0
1
Any other Asian background
1.0%
51
16
1
1
25
2
6
Total Asian or British Asian
2.7%
140
43
5
3
67
4
18
Caribbean
5.4%
280
76
11
14
140
16
23
Black or Black British
African
2.4%
126
33
4
2
59
9
19
Any other Black background
2.4%
122
39
8
4
55
5
11
Total Black or Black British
10.2%
528
148
23
20
254
30
53
Chinese
0.3%
13
6
1
0
4
1
1
Chinese or other ethnic
group
Any other ethnic group
0.7%
38
12
1
1
20
0
4
Total Chinese or other ethnic group
1.0%
51
18
2
1
24
1
5
Not Stated
Not Specified
5.4%
277
83
15
10
127
6
36
2
Table 3- Subjects’ accurate ages (excluding estimates) per level of TASER use.
Totals
Percentage per level of TASER use
Subjects’ Age
%
Count Fired Drive-stun
Arced Red
dot Aimed Drawn
Total per section
100.0%
4,364
1,133
187
146
2,277
185
436
13
0.0%
2
-
-
-
2
-
-
14
0.4%
16
3
2
1
8
1
1
15
0.6%
28
7
2
1
11 1 6
16
1.4%
62
13 2 3
34
3
7
17
2.6%
115
24 6 4
71
2
8
18
3.9%
169
32 10 6
95 7
19
19
4.2%
184
37 10 1
95
16
25
20
4.3%
189
39 11 9
99 7
24
21
3.9%
169
41 5 4
92
10
17
22
3.8%
164
35 15 2
85 8
19
23
3.6%
156
30 6 1
93
6
20
24
3.8%
164
41 6 3
95
5
14
25
3.6%
155
43 5 5
87
6
9
26
3.4%
150
35 6 5
84
7
13
27
3.7%
163
40 10 4
85 3
21
28
3.1%
137
31 9 5
71
6
15
29
2.8%
122
32 4 3
61
7
15
30
3.1%
135
38 4 6
66
11
10
31
2.8%
121
33 6 6
57
3
16
32
2.8%
124
36 1 5
72
3
7
33
2.8%
124
43 4 6
59
2
10
34
2.5%
108
28 6 3
57
6
8
35
3.2%
138
42 5 6
71
4
10
36
2.4%
105
34 2 4
47
5
13
37
2.4%
106
31 3 2
57
6
7
38
2.8%
122
33 7 3
62
6
11
39
2.4%
103
33 2 -
49
7
12
40
2.2%
98
29 6 5
51
4
3
41
2.3%
102
28 3 4
55
3
9
42
2.1%
91
27 4 3
45
4
8
43
2.1%
93
18 1 6
52
6
10
44
1.8%
78
19 2 8
38
1
10
45
1.7%
76
22 7 1
38
2
6
46
1.6%
69
26 2 -
36
1
4
47
1.1%
50
12 1 1
22
4
10
48
1.0%
43
9
2
7
22 3 -
49
0.8%
37
12 2 1
19 -
3
50
0.9%
41
14 -
1
21
1
4
51
0.5%
22
5
-
-
12 2 3
52
0.4%
19
9
-
-
9
-
1
53
0.4%
16
4
-
1
7
1
3
54
0.5%
21
7
1
2
9
1
1
55
0.3%
15
5
-
-
7
1
2
56
0.3%
11
3
-
1
7
-
-
57
0.2%
10
6
-
-
3
-
1
58
0.3%
13
6
1
-
5
-
1
59
0.2%
7
2
1
-
4
-
-
60
0.1%
6
2
1
-
3
-
-
61
0.1%
6
2
-
-
3
-
1
62
0.1%
6
1
-
1
2
-
2
63
0.1%
5
2
-
-
3
-
-
64
0.0%
2
1
-
-
-
-
1
65
0.1%
4
1
-
-
3
-
-
66
0.0%
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
67
0.1%
3
1
1
-
-
-
1
68
0.0%
2
2
-
-
-
-
-
69
0.0%
1
-
-
-
-
-
1
70
0.1%
3
1
-
-
2
-
-
72
0.0%
1
-
-
-
-
1
-
74
0.0%
1
1
-
-
-
-
-
84
0.0%
1
1
-
-
-
-
-
89
0.0%
1
1
-
-
-
-
-
Not Specified
1.8%
78
20 3 6
33
2
14
3
15.5% (801) ages were estimates. These are marked with an asterisk within brackets alongside the number
corresponding to the portion of ages estimated. Numbers marked with an asterisk without brackets
indicates that all ages within that level of use were estimated.
Table 4 - Subjects’ ages (including estimates) per level of TASER use.
Totals
Percentage per level of TASER use
Subjects’ Age
%
Count Fired Drive-stun
Arced Red
dot Aimed Drawn
Total per section
100.0%
5,165
1,307
221
196
2,687
211
543
13
0.1%
3
*1 -
-
2
-
-
14
0.3%
18
3
(1*) 3
1
8
1
(1*) 2
15
0.6%
33
7
2
1
(2*) 13
1
(3*) 9
16
1.4%
70
(3*) 16
2
(3*) 6
(1*) 35
3
(1*) 8
17
2.5%
128
(2*) 26
(1*) 7
4
(6*) 77
(2*) 4
(2*) 10
18
4.2%
215
(4*) 36
(3*) 13
(1*) 7 (32*) 127
(2*) 9
(4*) 23
19
3.9%
200
(2*) 39
10
1 (10*) 105
(1*) 17
(3*) 28
20
5.3%
272
(11*) 50
(1*) 12
(6*) 15 (46*) 145
(4*) 11
(15*) 39
21
3.5%
183
(3*) 44
5
(1*) 5
(6*) 98
(2*) 12
(2*) 19
22
3.8%
194
(5*) 40
(3*) 18
(2*) 4 (16*) 101
(2*) 10
(2*) 21
23
3.4%
177
(3*) 33
(1*) 7
(2*) 3 (13*) 106
6
(2*) 22
24
3.6%
187
(5*) 46
(1*) 7
(1*) 4 (13*) 108
5
(3*) 17
25
4.7%
241
(17*) 60
(6*) 11
(6*) 11 (41*) 128
(3*) 9
(13*) 22
26
3.1%
160
(2*) 37
6
(1*) 6
(7*) 91
7
13
27
3.4%
177
(3*) 43
(1*) 11
(1*) 5
(7*) 92
3
(2*) 23
28
2.9%
148
(6*) 37
9
5
(3*) 74
(2*) 6
17
29
2.4%
125
(1*) 33
(1*) 5
3
(1*) 62
7
15
30
4.4%
226
(25*) 63
(4*) 8
(3*) 9 (43*) 109
(1*) 12
(15*) 25
31
2.5%
127
(3*) 36
6
(1*) 7
(2*) 59
3
16
32
2.6%
134
(1*) 37
1
5
(6*) 78
(1*) 4
(2*) 9
33
2.7%
137
(5*) 48
(1*) 5
6
(7*) 66
2
10
34
2.3%
119
(1*) 29
6
3
(7*) 64
6
(3*) 11
35
3.9%
203
(13*) 55
5
(4*) 10 (33*) 104
4
(15*) 25
36
2.1%
110
(2*) 36
2
(1*) 5
(2*) 49
5
13
37
2.3%
119
(4*) 35
(1*) 4
(1*) 3
(7*) 64
6
7
38
2.6%
136
(2*) 35
(1*) 8
(2*) 5
(7*) 69
6
(2*) 13
39
2.1%
111
(1*) 34
2
-
(5*) 54
(1*) 8
(1*) 13
40
3.1%
161
(17*) 46
(3*) 9
(9*) 14 (27*) 78
(2*) 6
(5*) 8
41
2.1%
106
(2*) 30
3
4
(1*) 56
3
(1*) 10
42
1.9%
99
27
4
3
(6*) 51
(2*) 6
8
43
1.9%
99
(2*) 20
1
6
(4*) 56
6
10
44
1.5%
80
19
2
8
(1*) 39
(1*) 2
10
45
2.0%
104
(6*) 28
(1*) 8
(3*) 4 (16*) 54
2
(2*) 8
46
1.5%
75
(3*) 29
(1*) 3
-
(2*) 38
1
4
47
1.0%
53
(2*) 14
1
1
(1*) 23
4
10
48
0.9%
47
(1*) 10
2
7
(2*) 24
3
(1*) 1
49
0.7%
38
(1*) 13
2
1
19
-
3
50
1.3%
65
(5*) 19
*3
(1*) 2 (12*) 33
1
(3*) 7
51
0.5%
25
5
-
-
(2*) 14
(1*) 3
3
52
0.4%
20
(1*) 10
-
-
9
-
1
53
0.3%
18
4
-
1
(1*) 8
(1*) 2
3
54
0.4%
23
7
1
2
(1*) 10
1
(1*) 2
55
0.4%
23
(2*) 7
-
*1
(4*) 11
1
(1*) 3
56
0.2%
12
3
-
1
(1*) 8
-
-
57
0.2%
11
6
-
-
(1*) 4
-
1
58
0.3%
14
(1*) 7
1
-
5
-
1
59
0.1%
7
2
1
-
4
-
-
60
0.2%
10
(4*) 6
1
-
3
-
-
61
0.2%
8
(1*) 3
-
-
(1*) 4
-
1
62
0.2%
8
(1*) 2
-
1
(1*) 3
-
2
63
0.1%
5
2
-
-
3
-
-
64
0.1%
3
1
-
-
*1 - 1
65
0.1%
4
1
-
-
3
-
-
66
0.0%
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
67
0.1%
4
1
1
-
*1 - 1
68
0.1%
3
2
-
-
*1 - -
69
0.0%
1
-
-
-
-
-
1
70
0.1%
3
1
-
-
2
-
-
72
0.0%
1
-
-
-
-
1
-
74
0.0%
1
1
-
-
-
-
-
84
0.0%
1
1
-
-
-
-
-
89
0.0%
1
1
-
-
-
-
-
4
Not Specified
1.5%
78
20 3
6
33
2
14
Where age estimate indicated an age range, the average was specified. This only applied to 3 records (20-25 = 22, 34-40 = 37 and 30s = 35)
