An interesting experience!

Here at North Wales Police we are constantly searching for better methods of policing. As part of this programme we have had Taser (in the vernacular, an electronic 'stun gun') available to support our small number of armed officers since 2003, and it has been a great success. However, we have long thought that the device has a wider application to provide better and quicker protection to ordinary patrol officers in remote locations faced with dangerous or violent people -- and thus better protection for the public we serve.




We have therefore just issued Tasers to a substantial number of officers based in the more rural parts of the force and will be measuring the effects over the next year or so. The trial started last Saturday. The video clip below explains more (and includes film of me being Tasered myself earlier this week) which I hope you will find instructive in explaining just what your local police are doing to keep you safe by remaining right at the forefront of modern policing worldwide.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Chief
• Constable
• blog
• Taser

[cheesybrit]

Very informative video on a restraint tool that every policeman in the UK should be given.

Richard Brunstrom is the scourge of motorists and motorcyclists travelling in North Wales. Those who have been the victims of his over zealous traffic policing methods may watch this clip with some amusement. I certainly made me smile.

[2004carlt]

This guy's a megalomaniac. I agree that we are heading for a Police State. The Police are using the media to justify their extra weaponry. Ordinary people need powers to defend themselves. I'm not talking guns but if the Police can walk around with TAZERS, why can't we? If we're going the way of America, then we should be able to buy them too, just as in the USA. They wouldn't be so cocky if they knew that they were out in the open with the real chance of getting a taste of their own medicine.

[EmmasFella]

I'm sorry but you're way off with that line of thought. All UK Police are equipped with batons and CS gas as part of their Protective Police Equipment (P.P.E.), does that mean that you should be allowed to carry a baton and cs too? Why not go the whole hog and equip yourself with a pair of cuffs so you can detain Police officers?! I think not.

There's a very real issue in todays UK climate with the levels of aggression the Police have to deal with.

Think again before eqquipping yourself.

[LordFrontier]

I put a large sum of money on your theory being correct Corvus.

At the same time you have to respect the guy for not being a politician about it and having some guts instead.

[LordFrontier]

The police in the UK are far, far, less military now than ever before. Look at their uniforms, they wear them loads of different ways, and when since the miners strike have you ever seen policemen marching? You're barking up the wrong tree my friend.

[Corvus27]

My guess is that they attached the 'fishing hooks' before he started walking away from the officer holding the taser. I am no physicist, but to my knowledge the current chooses the shortest route and that is from one of the probes, through the officer's body to the other probe. Therefore the current doesn't get to the other two officers.

[pigdog237]

He should've allowed them to Taser him on the concrete steps of a nightclub, without 2 geezers supporting him. He may have enjoyed the fall to the floor as much as the publicity...

[Dis4Dan]

what if you run and jump into a river? will they shoot u then.....

[daifly1976]

Call me cynical but TAZER works by delivering a shock of electricity through the body which incapacitates the suspect. It is delivered by firing two barbed probes into the suspect (fishing hooks). SO, how come the officer behind Mr Brunstrom never raises his weapon towards the "suspect", the policemen supporting him on either side aren't subjected to the electric shock either (I'll let the Physicists here correct me on this!) and how does he recover so quickly afterwards (almost instantly)?

[alexzoidberg]

You can also give someone a heart attack if it takes half a dozen police officers to wrestle them to the ground when they are being violent.

Better ban that as well , and just ask people nicely if they wouldn't mind behaving

[spadthebad]

Very good, but the concern of a non-lethal assault weapon is that it's use does not have to be last resort as with a firearm. When giving more power to Police it's often forgotten that they are not all good guys through and through. They are just people, and like most people they can be lazy, negligent, and downright sadistic.