THE police union wants frontline cops given Tasers and has called on the Hodgman government to roll them out.
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Police Association of Tasmania president Pat Allen is a strong advocate of Tasers.
The union leader once volunteered to be stunned with a 50,000 volt gun to demonstrate the weapon’s effectiveness.
Only specialist police in Tasmania have access to Tasers and they are rarely used.
Constable Allen said if the government couldn’t afford a general rollout, Tasers should at least be made available all over the state.
‘‘If they save the life of a police officer, a member of the public or an offender then why wouldn’t you [roll them out]?’’ he said.
‘‘Put stringent controls around them.’’
Constable Allen said Tasers were one more option police had before moving to lethal force.
Having to use lethal force like a gun was a ‘‘shocking option’’ for officers and the effects often lasted a lifetime, he said.
‘‘Police don’t get up in the morning with the intention of using a firearm that day,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s the last weapon of choice.’’
Tasmanian police, who operate under a single-officer response policy, were denied the use of Tasers after a trial in 2009.
Yesterday Deputy Police Commissioner Scott Tilyard said the position had not changed.
‘‘If required, the SOG (Special Operations Group) provides tactical support to other police responding to high-risk situations,’’ he said.
‘‘ Tasmania Police regularly reviews policies and practices to ensure the safety of the public and officers responding to incidents, including the use of capsicum spray and Tasers.’’
During last year’s parliamentary debate on mandatory sentencing for police assaults several MPs raised the idea of Tasers.
Launceston MLC Rosemary Armitage suggested officers given Tasers marked ‘‘police’’ so they dissuaded anti-social behaviour should be looked at.
In 2011 the Infrastructure Department considered giving transport inspectors Tasers, due to threats from truck drivers, but was advised against it by Police Commissioner Darren Hine.
The use of the item has recently come into question after the third death in five years this month in New South Wales following a Tasering incident.
Police Minister Rene Hidding did not comment yesterday but has previously labelled Tasers a ‘‘magnificent weapon’’.
‘‘When a big dangerous person comes at you, you can fire this at them and they lie down and twitch,’’ he told an estimates committee in 2002.