Questions to the Mayor of London – answered at on 17 January 2019.
It is reported in a study by City of London that police officers carrying Tasers are twice as likely to be assaulted as unarmed officers? How will you ensure that the tactics are reviewed to ensure safety of officers and members of public?
As mentioned in Mayor's Question 2019/0348, the study only considered nine assaults, six of which were on officers who were carrying Taser, therefore it is difficult to draw any firm conclusions from such a small sample size, especially since Taser-equipped officers are more likely to be deployed to violent incidents.
The mere presence of a Taser often avoids the need for officers to use further force. Taser deployments and tactics are also kept under constant review - it is a proven proportionate and effective means to deal with violent offenders. The Met will use the City of London study as the basis on which to examine their own data as they do not have a comparative study.