By Lynne Stewart

SPECIALLY TRAINED police officers throughout Scotland will begin using the controversial Taser stun guns by the end of the year, according to a Tayside Police chief.

Ian Gordon, Deputy Chief Constable of Tayside Police and Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) spokesman on firearms, has consistently backed the introduction of the weapon to trained firearms officers.

He said that it is “another option” for officers faced with an armed incident and is aimed at saving lives.

The M26 Taser fires needle-tipped darts into a person’s body from up to 20 feet away. A 50,000-volt shock is delivered, causing brief paralysis to allow the suspect to be arrested.

Mr Gordon conducted a report of research into the equipment, which was presented to all eight chief constables at the end of last year.

The weapons will complement conventional guns and are not being introduced in place of firearms.

Firearms officers will be trained to use the new equipment after the G8 summit next month.

“The eight chief constables have considered the introduction of Taser as a less lethal option and is now being implemented.

“They will be in operation by the end of the year,” said Mr Gordon.

“This force is in the process of acquiring the Taser and authorised officers will then undergo training.

“The force is facing an enormous national operation in the G8 summit and training will commence after that.”

Mr Gordon would not be drawn on the number of the Taser guns that the Tayside force will purchase or how many officers will be trained to use the weapons but said that it will be “sufficient to meet the operational demands.”

The weapon underwent a successful pilot in England and Wales, and Scottish forces have since decided to introduce the guns north of the border.

During the trial in England and Wales officers carried a gun as well as the Taser and the judgment on whether to use the weapon was left to the individual officer, depending on the circumstances of the incident.

The weapons were deployed around 50 times in the year that they were on trial.

Only trained firearm officers will be authorised to carry the weapons and will undergo additional training in how to operate the new equipment before it is introduced into operational policing later in the year.

As with firearms, a senior officer has to authorise the issue of the equipment.

Mr Gordon said that the stun guns would be of benefit in Tayside as the Taser can be used to prevent a situation escalating.

“The number of firearms incidents in Tayside, thankfully has been quite small, and I would love to see Taser never being used, but that’s not a reality of life and we will have incidents where they prove valuable,” he said.

“The important thing to remember is it’s another option. We have a range of options and it really depends on the circumstances and the degree of risk to life and the actual environment of the incident that will determine whether Taser is used.

“Authorised officers need these options.”

Mr Gordon recognises the concerns of groups, such as Amnesty International, that have reacted angrily to the introduction to Scotland’s police forces of the Taser guns.

They believe they are unsafe and say that over 100 people in America and Canada have died after being shot by them.

Mr Gordon said, “What I have said repeatedly is that Tasers have been extensively examined and been found to be safe. Five forces in England and Wales trialled the Taser over a year and was then examined by outside consultants.

“The use of Taser has undergone scientific research and assessment, medical research and assessment and ministerial decisions have been made on Taser, which is now going UK wide.

“The purpose is to save life, whether that is a member of the public, the offender or the officer themselves.”

Former Home Secretary David Blunkett announced last year that the use of Taser stun guns should be rolled out to police forces throughout England and Wales after the initial year-long pilot in five forces proved successful.

Civil rights groups Amnesty International and Liberty have expressed concern about the weapons, branding them lethal and fearing their potential for misuse, particularly in terms of crowd control.