Page 13 - WMPF Federation Feb-Mar 2020-flip_Neat

PCCs to bid for

Taser funding

orces could find out their share of the budget cuts and competing priorities. All officers who
£10 million extra cash for Taser as “We welcome the fact that the
want to be trained
Government, having announced this extra
Fsoon as February, the Home Office has give forces access to these funds. All officers “
announced. investment in a roll-out of Taser before the
From mid-January Police and Crime General Election, has now acted quickly to and equipped
Commissioners (PCCs) could bid for a share
of the ring-fenced funding which it is hoped who want to be trained and equipped with with Taser should
will equip 10,000 more officers with Taser. Taser should be able to do so since it not
“This is great news for the police service only enables them to protect themselves be able to do so
and for individual police officers,” says Jon but also their communities.”
Nott, chair of West Midlands Police Home Secretary Priti Patel, in opening since it not only
Federation, “For some time now, we have the bidding process, said: “Our brave police
been calling on the Government to give officers put themselves in harm’s way to enables them to
forces the funding they need to train and protect us and I am committed to giving
equip more officers with these devices. them the tools they need to keep protect themselves
“The latest nationwide survey on routine themselves and the public safe.
arming conducted by the Police Federation “The rise in assaults on officers is but also their
in 2017 revealed that only 15 per cent of appalling which is why I am providing
respondents from West Midlands Police, for funding to equip up to 10,000 more officers communities.
whom it was applicable to their role, has with Taser - an important tactical option “
access to Taser at all times while on duty when facing potentially physically violent
compared to 22 per cent nationally. situations.”
“That same survey revealed that 82 per The application process will involve PCCs 2019/20 and 2020/21, will be announced as
cent of respondents from our Force said they outlining how many extra officers they plan soon as February.
wanted access to Taser at all times. Since to train to use Taser and then bidding via an The Police Federation’s national chair,
then, we have seen an uplift but it has been online platform with their requests being John Apter, has also welcomed this latest
difficult for the Force, along with others based on the threat and risk in their local development and has urged the Government
across England and Wales, to be able to fund area. to provide more funding if the £10m does
this while struggling to meet demand with The Home Office has said the final not cover what forces need.
reduced resources due to the Government’s funding allocations for forces, which cover l More news on Taser – see Page 33.

www.polfed.org/westmids federation February/March 2020 13