Why Are Tasers Used in Policing?

When confronting potentially dangerous or violent individuals, frontline police officers have a duty to minimise the risk of injury or death to the individual themselves, the immediate community, and other officers

Use-of-force options can vary from verbal de-escalation methods to physical restraints or holds. If warranted, a baton may be used to protect against or restrain a potentially harmful individual.
Any use of force by an officer must be the minimum amount necessary to accomplish the lawful objective concerned.

It is recognised that a baton may cause injury to a potentially harmful individual, another member of the public or police officer. Instead of using a baton to control situations where the threat of violence is high, technologies such as a Taser may be used instead.

A Taser device can be used by an officer as a deterrent by pointing a laser beam at a dangerous individual (known as “red-dotting”). This is often enough to de-escalate a situation. On the occasion when red-dotting does not resolve an issue, the Taser can be discharged with one of two functions: ‘fired’ or ‘drive stun’. When a Taser is fired, this means that the trigger is squeezed and the cartridge is deployed from a distance.

By contrast, drive stun is when the Taser is applied by hand directly to somebody in close quarters who is displaying serious threats of violence. Both approaches can be used to control a situation whilst minimising injury and harm. Tasers are one of several tactical options that can be used when dealing with an incident that has the potential for conflict.

In Police Scotland, the carrying of Tasers is limited to that of specially trained police officers to ensure that its utilisation is proportionate, ethical, transparent, and only used as a method of harm reduction when absolutely necessary.