Photosales
niJobfinder
niCarfinder
Home Delivery
Propertynews
Poll: Tasers and the police
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Do you support the use of Tasers by the PSNI?
| Yes, it is better than using firearms |  56% |
| Yes, but only in exceptional circumstances |  21% |
| No, I'm genuinely concerned about the safety of Tasers | 8% |
| No, the police should not have these weapons | 15% |
Police have used a Taser for the first time in Northern Ireland to subdue a father who had locked himself and his two children into a house, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal.
Post a comment
Limit: 500 characters
View all comments that have been posted about this article
Offensive or abusive comments will be removed and your IP address logged and may be used to prevent further submissions. In submitting a comment to the site, you agree to be bound by BelfastTelegraph.co.uk's Terms of Use.
Posts submitted in UPPERCASE letters will be rejected.
Truncheons/batons have a small death risk if used incorrectly; handcuffs have even caused death when used over zealously; CS gas has caused a small number of deaths; Police cars have caused deaths too, when driven carelessly, so Tasers have a similar small death risk. But, honestly, would you expect any weapon used against an assailant who is intent on killing or maiming a policeman or a member of the public, not to have some small personal risk for the target? On the balance of it, there is a much greater chance of survival for that assailant and of course his intended victim than the use of the final solution, the gun! Tasers have proved themselves in America and in London and the counties what's so different about Northern/The North of, Ireland?
I think the PSNI should be issued with tasers, the threat to their lives and the lives of people in our communities is growing rapidly. There is talk about the use of tasers being a breach of the right to life and right to freedom from torture under the Human Rights Act but what about our police officers right to live and freedom from torture?! Is it one rule for the criminals of this world and another for the good people trying to protect us? Our police men and woman need to be able to protect themselves, somewhere along the way the respect for authoritive figures has been lost. It is a sad fact that our young people are growing up with a lack of morals and no concept of how their actions have concequences.
Yes, the Police should have Tasers at their disposal but not as an alternative to firearms. The Taser should be seen as another weapon in the police armoury, added to batons, guns, rifles, pepper spray and CS gas. There should be guidelines to assist police officers on the ground determine which weapon is best - if a weapon is to be used at all. I have no time for all the nay sayers. No one has answered the question about exactly how many people have died due to a taser being used and out of how many uses? I also believe that the recent case brought to the courts by a child who claims not to have been consulted on the introduction of a taser by the PSNI to be child exploitation by the so-called human rights, liberal, looney left brigade. It is just as unacceptable as the use of children by local councils to see which shops are selling cigarettes to kids.
Finally if these silly peole have their way I can just see police asking an armed thug "do you have heart problems, Sir?"
These weapons are only used in exceptional circumstances by trained officers.
It would only be deployed in situations where officers or the public are at risk of serious injury or death (Knifeman weilding a machete)
I would like to see some of these no voters disarming these individuals by lesser means
Northern Bank , Larry Zeitchek , corrupted forensics from Omagh , the falling price of cocaine , the rise in heroin use , the huge increase in reported rape , the increase in attacks on children . These problems cannot be solved by tasers.
Why don't we all get tasers then I 'd feel alot safer in a society tailor made for drug addict paramilitary gangsters .
what if a police officer has a tazer and he has a face off with somone with a proper gun. bloody tazer won't do much good then. give all police AK47's. they never jam, they work when wet, filled with dust. that will make a criminal thimk twice, when he is face with a cop with an AK.
personally i think the police should be armed with firearms! it would act as a deterrant for crimals and i would prefer for my tax not to go to housing a criminal in jail if he/she was carying a firearm! i would prefer that the police have him shot! i believe that the death penalty should be reinstated !
I have used these weapons in S Africa and the US in the nature of my employment. If anyone would bother looking at the stastics they would relise its not the Tazer that kills, its the fall after it as some people hit the ground head first. Its a first class alternative to lethal force however in todays liberal. tree hugging UK your always going to get people thinking a simple bucket of water over someone will calm them down, then again what if they caught a cold??!!!
i think that the use of tazer guns would be a better alternative to the use of fire arms. the police are our protectors and how are the ment to go up against violent crimnals, that have access to deadly weapons, unarmed? if we leave the police unarmed we might as well have no police force at all n let the crimnals rule the country!
I beleive that all law enforcement should be equiped with Tasers.
I also beleive that the people who vote against it are the ones that are afraid of someday that they would put themselves in a position to be Tased.
Coli IF a Tazer gets used on "you" then you must be doing something to deserve it. Law abiding citizens have NOTHING to fear.
Tasers can be a lethal weapon, just like guns. Is anyone seriously suggesting that if they were not available that police would have shot those that were tasered? If they are treated as lethal weapons with appropriate safeguards then they have a place but their use in Derry recently was over the top and an attempt to create an amourary gap ahead of a court case to decide on thier use.
be careful what you vote for as a tazer may have to be used on you and who wants an electric shock
Taser guns are NOT an alternative to firearms, this is the excuse being used to promote the usage of the these weapons. These weapons are well known to kill people - many, many people have been killed in America as a result of being tasered.
Taser guns should only be used in extremely exceptional circumstances.
i agree with the comment about heart conditions - how and when on earth are gung-ho cops gonna take time to account for these or other medical conditions before zapping the life out of someone with one of these taser guns?
DONT KNOW WHY ANYONE WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS. ARE YOU ON THE POLICE FORCE'S SIDE OR NOT. THERE'S FAR TOO MANY OPINIONATED PEOPLE THAT JUST WANT TO COME DOWN ON ANYTHING THATS DECIDED FOR THE POLICE.WISE UP!
Dont do anything to harm anyone else & you wont be zapped - simple - obey the law its not that hard to do.
Human rights is all I hear these days, what about the majority of law abbiding citizens! Enough of listening to the local representives crying about it, support the police! I call for more of these weapons used, non-lethal "bean-bags" and if necessary lethal force. In this day and age, police SHOULD be armed, rifles if the threat dictates and lets get these criminals in front of the courts and handed heavy sentences. What a nanny state we have become. We should take a leaf out of America's book. No-one unless they are under the influence of some drugs or achohol give the Police abuse or they are locked up.. FACT. I blame the liberal Governments of past and present for this disgrace. What about the peoples rights to feel protected. Well done PSNI, more of it is needed I say and before someone jumps at me, I'm not a DUP or Unionist supporter, just a citizen who wants protected and make the criminals get a bit of their own medicine!
Some people may have a heart condition, and a jolt from a taser could kill them !!
I think this is a stupid idea...
Also in this section
- Dieters snap up supplements
Comments
24 Comments
Truncheons/batons have a small death risk if used incorrectly; handcuffs have even caused death when used over zealously; CS gas has caused a small number of deaths; Police cars have caused deaths too, when driven carelessly, so Tasers have a similar small death risk. But, honestly, would you expect any weapon used against an assailant who is intent on killing or maiming a policeman or a member of the public, not to have some small personal risk for the target? On the balance of it, there is a much greater chance of survival for that assailant and of course his intended victim than the use of the final solution, the gun! Tasers have proved themselves in America and in London and the counties what's so different about Northern/The North of, Ireland?
Posted by Griz | 13.10.08, 23:12 GMT
I think the PSNI should be issued with tasers, the threat to their lives and the lives of people in our communities is growing rapidly. There is talk about the use of tasers being a breach of the right to life and right to freedom from torture under the Human Rights Act but what about our police officers right to live and freedom from torture?! Is it one rule for the criminals of this world and another for the good people trying to protect us? Our police men and woman need to be able to protect themselves, somewhere along the way the respect for authoritive figures has been lost. It is a sad fact that our young people are growing up with a lack of morals and no concept of how their actions have concequences.
Posted by Andi | 02.10.08, 14:22 GMT
Yes, the Police should have Tasers at their disposal but not as an alternative to firearms. The Taser should be seen as another weapon in the police armoury, added to batons, guns, rifles, pepper spray and CS gas. There should be guidelines to assist police officers on the ground determine which weapon is best - if a weapon is to be used at all. I have no time for all the nay sayers. No one has answered the question about exactly how many people have died due to a taser being used and out of how many uses? I also believe that the recent case brought to the courts by a child who claims not to have been consulted on the introduction of a taser by the PSNI to be child exploitation by the so-called human rights, liberal, looney left brigade. It is just as unacceptable as the use of children by local councils to see which shops are selling cigarettes to kids.
Finally if these silly peole have their way I can just see police asking an armed thug "do you have heart problems, Sir?"
Posted by Thos | 30.09.08, 11:17 GMT
These weapons are only used in exceptional circumstances by trained officers.
It would only be deployed in situations where officers or the public are at risk of serious injury or death (Knifeman weilding a machete)
I would like to see some of these no voters disarming these individuals by lesser means
Posted by Alex | 16.09.08, 21:24 GMT
Northern Bank , Larry Zeitchek , corrupted forensics from Omagh , the falling price of cocaine , the rise in heroin use , the huge increase in reported rape , the increase in attacks on children . These problems cannot be solved by tasers.
Why don't we all get tasers then I 'd feel alot safer in a society tailor made for drug addict paramilitary gangsters .
Posted by Liam | 16.09.08, 09:50 GMT
what if a police officer has a tazer and he has a face off with somone with a proper gun. bloody tazer won't do much good then. give all police AK47's. they never jam, they work when wet, filled with dust. that will make a criminal thimk twice, when he is face with a cop with an AK.
Posted by big old tom | 09.09.08, 20:06 GMT
personally i think the police should be armed with firearms! it would act as a deterrant for crimals and i would prefer for my tax not to go to housing a criminal in jail if he/she was carying a firearm! i would prefer that the police have him shot! i believe that the death penalty should be reinstated !
Posted by adam,portadown | 05.09.08, 16:54 GMT
I have used these weapons in S Africa and the US in the nature of my employment. If anyone would bother looking at the stastics they would relise its not the Tazer that kills, its the fall after it as some people hit the ground head first. Its a first class alternative to lethal force however in todays liberal. tree hugging UK your always going to get people thinking a simple bucket of water over someone will calm them down, then again what if they caught a cold??!!!
Posted by peter | 05.09.08, 12:59 GMT
i think that the use of tazer guns would be a better alternative to the use of fire arms. the police are our protectors and how are the ment to go up against violent crimnals, that have access to deadly weapons, unarmed? if we leave the police unarmed we might as well have no police force at all n let the crimnals rule the country!
Posted by vikki | 03.09.08, 19:43 GMT
I beleive that all law enforcement should be equiped with Tasers.
I also beleive that the people who vote against it are the ones that are afraid of someday that they would put themselves in a position to be Tased.
Posted by steve | 03.09.08, 13:15 GMT
Coli IF a Tazer gets used on "you" then you must be doing something to deserve it. Law abiding citizens have NOTHING to fear.
Posted by Gary | 02.09.08, 19:51 GMT
Tasers can be a lethal weapon, just like guns. Is anyone seriously suggesting that if they were not available that police would have shot those that were tasered? If they are treated as lethal weapons with appropriate safeguards then they have a place but their use in Derry recently was over the top and an attempt to create an amourary gap ahead of a court case to decide on thier use.
Posted by Paul | 01.09.08, 10:32 GMT
be careful what you vote for as a tazer may have to be used on you and who wants an electric shock
Posted by coli | 30.08.08, 11:18 GMT
Taser guns are NOT an alternative to firearms, this is the excuse being used to promote the usage of the these weapons. These weapons are well known to kill people - many, many people have been killed in America as a result of being tasered.
Taser guns should only be used in extremely exceptional circumstances.
Posted by Ciaran Gallagher | 29.08.08, 15:32 GMT
i agree with the comment about heart conditions - how and when on earth are gung-ho cops gonna take time to account for these or other medical conditions before zapping the life out of someone with one of these taser guns?
Posted by max | 29.08.08, 13:36 GMT
DONT KNOW WHY ANYONE WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS. ARE YOU ON THE POLICE FORCE'S SIDE OR NOT. THERE'S FAR TOO MANY OPINIONATED PEOPLE THAT JUST WANT TO COME DOWN ON ANYTHING THATS DECIDED FOR THE POLICE.WISE UP!
Posted by Polly | 29.08.08, 12:46 GMT
Dont do anything to harm anyone else & you wont be zapped - simple - obey the law its not that hard to do.
Posted by Andrew | 28.08.08, 16:01 GMT
Human rights is all I hear these days, what about the majority of law abbiding citizens! Enough of listening to the local representives crying about it, support the police! I call for more of these weapons used, non-lethal "bean-bags" and if necessary lethal force. In this day and age, police SHOULD be armed, rifles if the threat dictates and lets get these criminals in front of the courts and handed heavy sentences. What a nanny state we have become. We should take a leaf out of America's book. No-one unless they are under the influence of some drugs or achohol give the Police abuse or they are locked up.. FACT. I blame the liberal Governments of past and present for this disgrace. What about the peoples rights to feel protected. Well done PSNI, more of it is needed I say and before someone jumps at me, I'm not a DUP or Unionist supporter, just a citizen who wants protected and make the criminals get a bit of their own medicine!
Posted by Peter | 27.08.08, 18:05 GMT
Some people may have a heart condition, and a jolt from a taser could kill them !!
Posted by James | 26.08.08, 12:00 GMT
I think this is a stupid idea...
Posted by Me | 26.08.08, 10:15 GMT
24 Comments