TASERs within Cambridgeshire Constabulary

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Dear Cambridgeshire Constabulary,

Please provide the following information (if the information is not
available or needs clarification then disregard the question):

1. How many police officers routinely carry a TASER?

2. How many police officers are trained to use a TASER?

3. Which departments/units (e.g. Dog Section, Roads Policing Unit) contain officers who routinely carry a TASER?

4. In regard to question 3, how many police officers work in these
departments/units and how many police officers carry TASER in said
departments/units.

5. Out of all police officers in Cambridgeshire Constabulary, what is the
percentage of police officers who routinely carry a Taster?

6. Please state the methods in which the TASER is carried by police
officers (e.g. belt holster, TAC Vest holster, leg holster)

7. What colour is the personal protection vest worn by officers in each applicable department?

7. Does the colours of the TASER in Cambridgeshire Constabulary vary?

8. If yes to question 6, please state the colour variations.

9. If no to question 6 please state the colours of the TASER used
by Cambridgeshire Constabulary (e.g. yellow and black, blue, black)

10. How many TASERs does Cambridgeshire Constabulary currently hold?

11. How many times was the TASER used in the following modes in
2012;
a. discharge;
b. arced;
c. drive-stun;
d. red-dot;
e. aimed;
f. not stated

12. How many times was the TASER used by each applicable
department/unit within Cambridgeshire Constabulary in the following modes
in 2012;
a. discharge;
b. arced;
c. drive-stun;
d. red-dot;
e. aimed;
f. not stated

Yours faithfully
Tyler

Cambridgeshire Constabulary

Dear Tyler

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 0325/2013
We acknowledge receipt of your Freedom of Information (FOI) request which
was received by Cambridgeshire Constabulary on 22/05/2013

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.  You will receive a response within the statutory
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Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please
telephone on 01480 456 111 asking for the Information Access Office or
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Regards

Julie Purse
Information Access Office
Cambridgeshire Constabulary

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To visit Cambridgeshire Constabulary's website please follow this link:

http://www.cambs-police.co.uk/index.asp

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Cambridgeshire Constabulary

1 Attachment

Dear Tyler

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 0325/2013

In reply to your request for information under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000, dated 21 May 2013 and received in the constabulary as follows:

Please provide the following information (if the information is not
available or needs clarification then disregard the question):

1. How many police officers routinely carry a TASER?

2. How many police officers are trained to use a TASER?

3. Which departments/units (e.g. Dog Section, Roads Policing Unit) contain
officers who routinely carry a TASER?

4. In regard to question 3, how many police officers work in these
departments/units and how many police officers carry TASER in said
departments/units.

5. Out of all police officers in Cambridgeshire Constabulary, what is the
percentage of police officers who routinely carry a Taster?

6. Please state the methods in which the TASER is carried by police
officers (e.g. belt holster, TAC Vest holster, leg holster)

7. What colour is the personal protection vest worn by officers in each
applicable department?

7. Does the colours of the TASER in Cambridgeshire Constabulary vary?

8. If yes to question 6, please state the colour variations.

9. If no to question 6 please state the colours of the TASER used by
Cambridgeshire Constabulary (e.g. yellow and black, blue, black)

10. How many TASERs does Cambridgeshire Constabulary currently hold?

11. How many times was the TASER used in the following modes in 2012;
a. discharge;
b. arced;
c. drive-stun;
d. red-dot;
e. aimed;
f. not stated

12. How many times was the TASER used by each applicable department/unit
within Cambridgeshire Constabulary in the following modes in 2012;
a. discharge;
b. arced;
c. drive-stun;
d. red-dot;
e. aimed;
f. not stated

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (The Act) requires us to handle all
requests in a manner that is blind to the identity of the requestor. Any
information released in response to a request is regarded as being
published, and therefore in the public domain without caveat.

We have completed all searches within Cambridgeshire Constabulary and
hereby enclose your response.

1. How many police officers routinely carry a TASER?

103

2. How many police officers are trained to use a TASER?

105 (this includes training staff)

3. Which departments/units (e.g. Dog Section, Roads Policing Unit) contain
officers who routinely carry a TASER?

Armed Policing Unit - this is a 'collaborated' unit comprising of officers
and assests from Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire constabularies and
Bedfordshire police. It became effective from 1 April 2013.

TAC Team

ANPR Team

Local Policing

4. In regard to question 3, how many police officers work in these
departments/units and how many police officers carry TASER in said
departments/units.

TAC Team 8
ANPR 8
Local Policing 88

Total 104

5. Out of all police officers in Cambridgeshire Constabulary, what is the
percentage of police officers who routinely carry a Taster?

No information held - we do not currently record information as
percentages. Manning figures are available but are dynamic as they change
on a day to day basis. Additionally the constabulary shares some functions
(including Armed Policing Unit) with neighbouring forces in Hertfordshire
and in Bedfordshire.

6. Please state the methods in which the TASER is carried by police
officers (e.g. belt holster, TAC Vest holster, leg holster)

TAC Vest Holster

7. What colour is the personal protection vest worn by officers in each
applicable department?

All TASERS are carried in hi-vis yellow Tac-vests

7. Does the colours of the TASER in Cambridgeshire Constabulary vary?

No. However officers in the tri-force APU may have access to black
coloured TASERs.

8. If yes to question 6, please state the colour variations.

All TASERS deployed by STOs are Yellow.

9. If no to question 6 please state the colours of the TASER used by
Cambridgeshire Constabulary (e.g. yellow and black, blue, black)

10. How many TASERs does Cambridgeshire Constabulary currently hold?

Cambridgeshire STO’s - 140

11. How many times was the TASER used in the following modes in 2012;

a. discharge;
b. arced;
c. drive-stun;
d. red-dot;
e. aimed;
f. not stated

"Specially Trained Officers"(STOs) did not have access to TASERS until
April 2013. We do not, therefore, have any information in relation to
STOs. In relation to the Armed Policing Unit, the returns created are
created manually and submitted to the Home Office for retention on a
monthly basis; the originals are retained for 1 month and then destroyed.

However, a previous FOI request in December 2012 asked a similar question
to which the answer was as follows:

a. 8

c. 1.

All other questions; nil return.

12. How many times was the TASER used by each applicable department/unit
within Cambridgeshire Constabulary in the following
modes in 2012;

a. discharge;
b. arced;
c. drive-stun;
d. red-dot;
e. aimed;
f. not stated

Please see the above answer to question 11.

If you are unhappy with this response, please see the attachment below,
which sets out your rights to appeal.

(See attached file: Complaint Rights May-11.pdf)

Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please
contact the Information Access Office via email, or on telephone number
01480 456 111 extension 2036.

Regards

David

David Price
Information Access Office
Cambridgeshire Constabulary

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To visit Cambridgeshire Constabulary's website please follow this link:

http://www.cambs-police.co.uk/index.asp

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