Amnesty International UK has warned that police using a new “10-shot super Taser” is “fundamentally dangerous” after the Metropolitan Police was hit with a fresh scandal.
The charity said the new “Taser 10” (T10) electro-shock weapon carries a set of new risks, with the potential for serious unintended injuries, especially among children. It also highlighted the potential for misuse against “a backdrop of police disproportionality and poor accountability”.
The warning comes as the UK’s largest force has become embroiled in controversy once again following the release of a BBC Panorama documentary.
The Met is facing accusations of racism, misogyny and misuse of force after officers at a London police station were secretly filmed making offensive comments and bragging about using violence.
In the wake of the footage, Amnesty said that giving police a “10-shot super Taser” without first strengthening the rules to limit Taser use to genuinely life-threatening situations raises “fundamental safety concerns”.
The government announced on Friday that police across England and Wales will be able to use Axon’s new Taser 10 model, saying the device is able to fire up to 10 single probes at greater distances and faster speeds, with officers now able to choose where each is fired.
Amnesty described the probes as longer and sharper than previous models, with the barbed spikes fired at a greater force. It argued that the more forceful barbs increase the chance of serious injuries, particularly if they strike sensitive areas such as the face or eyes, raising particular concerns for children.
However, the Home Office insisted that safety mechanisms have been improved, including the introduction of an auditory warning, and that the device has been subject to “rigorous scrutiny, independent testing and medical assessments”.
But, despite being a member of the independent advisory group to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead on Tasers, Amnesty’s policing expert, Oliver Feeley-Sprague, claimed that neither he nor other members of the group had been able to review documents detailing the testing, evaluation or medical evidence prepared ahead of the Home Office’s announcement it had authorised Taser 10.
Policing minister Sarah Jones described the Taser 10 as a “safer option”, but Mr Feeley-Sprague called this “misleading”.
He said: “A weapon that can fire ten times carries a real risk of overuse and serious injury, yet even the independent advisory group hasn’t been allowed to see the safety evidence. There is little point having a scrutiny body when it’s denied access to the very documents it needs to scrutinise.
“The much longer, faster-firing barbs raise the possibility of serious unintended injuries, with children at particular risk, including from facial or eye injuries.”
But Blair Gibbs, director of the Police Foundation, the UK's policing think tank, argued officers should be able to use the newest Taser devices, even calling for training to speed up their deployment.
He said: “We have strict and well-established safety assessments for approved policing tools like Tasers. As new models are developed, new reviews are undertaken by home office scientists, and this latest device has been properly tested.
“Despite Britain’s largely unarmed policing tradition, it is right for more officers in response roles to have access to the newest Taser devices so they can keep the public and other officers safe. It is now essential that we have the best training and support so forces can deploy the new devices quickly and they can be used responsibly.”
However, Amnesty highlighted the police’s “disturbing record of misusing Tasers”, which includes disproportionately targeting people from minority ethnic communities and those in mental health crisis.
The latest Home Office data showed that Black people were eight times more likely than White people to experience a Taser being drawn on them or discharged. Amnesty is calling for an urgent review of official guidance on police Taser use.
Mr Feeley-Sprague said: “Against this backdrop of misuse and over-use, a comprehensive review of official guidance on police Taser use is now absolutely essential. That review must be a priority and treated with urgency to ensure Tasers are only ever used in genuinely life-threatening situations.”
About 20 police forces have already signed up for the new devices, according to Alex Lowe, UK and Ireland regional director at Axon.
He added: “Taser 10 – supported by immersive VR training – is a vital part of the technology toolkit alongside body-worn video and real-time digital evidence management that will help police deliver on the government’s Safer Streets mission.”
The policing minister said: “This new device, backed by robust testing, will help our police forces and properly trained officers tackle crime more effectively while maintaining public trust and accountability, which is crucial to our Plan for Change.”
Chief Constable Sir Andy Marsh, CEO of the College of Policing, called the new device an “invaluable tool”.
He said: “Our updated guidance was developed in consultation with experts and tested in real-world scenarios. The effective use of Taser 10 is about improving the safety of our police officers and fulfilling our duty to protect the public from harm, whilst using the minimum amount of force. It’s also about trust, as the public rightly expects police powers are used with care and accountability.
“The College of Policing’s new guidance and training will ensure officers are not only prepared to the highest possible standards, but also that those standards are transparent. This will help build public trust and confidence and ensure officers are held to the high professional standards the service is proud to uphold.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The Taser 10 has been subject to rigorous scrutiny, independent testing and medical assessments, with technical testing carried out by an independent test house and user handling trials carried out by the College of Policing to ensure that the device fit for purpose and can be deployed safely, accurately and with confidence.”
