THE Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has welcomed Government funding for 164 new Tasers for the Westcountry force.

The allocation follows a Home Office bidding process that gave PCCs an opportunity to request money from a ring-fenced fund.

Devon and Cornwall Police was among the first forces to offer Tasers to all frontline officers who wanted them. The new funding – an additional 135,300 - will enable the force to equip the additional officers provided by local and national uplift programmes with Tasers.

“Police officers put themselves in harm’s way for the benefit of us all every single day of the week and Taser is a vital tool in keeping them and the public safe,” she said.

“I am pleased that the Government has listened to police and crime commissioners on this issue and approved our applications to fund this most useful tool.”

In April 2019 there were 874 Specially Trained Officers (STOs) authorised to carry Taser in Devon and Cornwall Police, this is forecast to rise to 1,200 by April 1, 2020.

All substantive uniformed frontline officers are able to request training and if they pass a selection process they are offered the course. Tasers typically cause less injury than traditional police methods such as police dogs, batons or guns.

The Police and Crime Commissioner’s Use of Police Powers Community Scrutiny panel is currently carrying out a review of Taser use within the force. Once the process is complete these findings will be made public.