LONDON // Electronic stun guns are to be issued to all front line police officers in England and Wales.
The Taser guns, which temporarily disable suspects with 50,000 volts of electronic current, are to be issued to 30,000 police officers in a bid to tackle increasing violence on the streets.
At the moment, only about 7,500 specialist firearms officers are permitted to carry the weapons, but Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, announced yesterday that 10,000 more of the Tasers were to be bought to enable all beat officers to be equipped with them.
Ms Smith said the move would allow patrol officers, who are not routinely armed in Britain, to "confront dangerous people", disabling them before incidents descend into violence.
Civil rights groups, however, questioned the safety of the weapons, and said more than 320 people had died in the United States since 2001 after being shot by Tasers - figures "not recognised" by the Home Office.
Alan Campbell, the home office minister responsible for crime reduction, told the BBC yesterday the government had only taken the decision to make the guns generally available after being assured by an independent medical panel that they posed a low risk.
"They're used under very strict circumstances and there are very clear guidelines," he said. "Last year, they were only used on 93 occasions out of the more than 600 that they were deployed.
"We don't expect them to be used as a weapon of choice routinely. I am sure one of the intentions is to make sure we don't need to use guns as often."
But Oliver Sprague, a spokesman for Amnesty International UK, said that, aside from safety concerns, there were fears over the use of stun guns on vulnerable people with emotional problems or who were under the influence of drugs.
"Amnesty is not opposed to the use of Tasers but they should be limited," he said "No matter how intensive the training is, the officers will only have had two days' worth."
Mr Sprague described it as an "extreme" move to buy 10,000 more of the weapons and called on Ms Smith to think again about the decision.
Lembit Opik, a spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, also voiced concerns about issuing the weapons to beat officers. "We're talking about increasing the firepower of the police in a way that I think brutalises the entire service," he said.
However, the move was welcomed by groups representing the police. The Association of Chief Police Officers said 10 forces had already been involved in trials which had shown that, in the majority of cases, the presence of the Tasers had helped police resolve incidents without the need to fire the weapon.
Simon Reed, the vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents rank and file officers, said the wider availability of Tasers would be applauded by officers routinely confronted by violent incidents.
"During the trial, which was for specially trained officers - and I stress not firearms officers, but normal patrol officers - the Tasers were drawn on 600-odd occasions and only actually discharged on 93 occasions," he said.
"So it shows how measured and proportionate the use of that device was. And it was for very serious violence or threats of violence."
The Tasers are air-powered weapons that fire two small harpoons attached to thin, electric cables. Once the suspect is hit, he or she is temporarily knocked out by the 50,000-volt shock. The weapon is effective up to about 6.5 metres.
dsapsted@thenational.ae
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Biography
Favourite book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Holiday choice: Anything Disney-related
Proudest achievement: Receiving a presidential award for foreign services.
Family: Wife and three children.
Like motto: You always get what you ask for, the universe listens.
if you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals (more at www.hertz.com/etihad). A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 3 (Abraham 11', 17', 74')
Luton Town 1 (Clark 30')
Man of the match Abraham (Chelsea)
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
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Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
more from Janine di Giovanni
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RACE CARD
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB); Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA); Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA); Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA); Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T); 1,400m
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani