Taser abuse covered up by (Australian) police

Taser abuse covered up by (Australian) police

www.smh.com.au

A 12-MONTH trial of police Tasers, which was used to justify arming every frontline officer in the state with the controversial weapon, was characterised by a litany of misuses and abuses that were covered up by police and the government.

The proof comes in internal police documents relating to the trial in 2008-09, which the Herald obtained after a year-long freedom-of-information battle.

(visit the link for the full news article)

The documents reveal that police and the government used the trial as window dressing to affirm a decision they had already made - to give the weapon to all general duties police - and ignored worrying results. The many abuses the Herald uncovered include:

* Stunning a handcuffed child at a juvenile detention centre.

* Stunning two suicidal people covered in fuel, which can be ignited by a Taser blast.

* The repeated stunning of a compliant man who presented no threat and was surrounded by members of the riot squad. This is being investigated by the Ombudsman and police.

* There were cases of people being hit by a Taser as many as six times, and others where police appeared to use the weapon to make argumentative but non-threatening people comply with directions.

* In one case a sergeant drew his Taser when he encountered two young men spray painting. He drew the weapon, he later said, because one of the vandals was carrying an extendable paint roller and he was ''unsure what their reaction would be to his presence''. He did not fire the weapon.

* A mother was accidentally hit when police fired at her son in one incident and a police officer was accidentally stunned in another.

* Police also pointed Tasers at groups of people, including protesters inside the Villawood Detention Centre, despite Tasers being acknowledged as an ''inappropriate'' weapon for use against crowds.

* Police also appeared habitually to misuse the weapon in its ''drive-stun'' mode, in which the Taser is held against the target's body and causes pain without incapacitation

Many of us have been reporting cases of Taser abuse in various countries for years now, but finally some proof has emerged of a police force (in this case the New South Wales Police Force of Australia) deliberately covering up taser abuse by it's officers in order to ensure they could continue to use and abuse them.

The Taser was introduced in NSW in 2001 but was used only about 50 times by two specialist units until the start of the trial when sergeants and inspectors at each of the 80 police commands were given access. Today 8000 police officers are trained to use the weapon. Since its introduction, 26 officers have been disciplined for not following police operating procedures, and the NSW Ombudsman has had 14 complaints.

When is enough actually going to be enough people? When do we switch from being happy little sheeple into people who can think and act for themselves?

www.smh.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by Kryties


It's clear that tasers have been abused just about everywhere they have been implemented. And I'm not even sure that it makes it that much safer for the officers. Nor the suspects, for that matter.

It may prevent an officer getting a scraped knee or something because they no longer need to take a 'hands on' approach. Workplace health and safety has really gotten ridiculous, right?

For the average person, the disadvantages of the police force having tasers outweigh the advantages. When they need to cover up their liberal usage of up to 50,000 volts, then they shouldn't be allowed to carry them.

That said, I have to ask what you mean by this:

Originally posted by Kryties
When is enough actually going to be enough people? When do we switch from being happy little sheeple into people who can think and act for themselves?

What can I do that actually transforms the definition of me from "sheeple" to "people that thinks and acts for myself"?

[edit on 6/7/10 by GobbledokTChipeater]

Originally posted by GobbledokTChipeater
reply to post by Kryties

 

That said, I have to ask what you mean by this:

Originally posted by Kryties
When is enough actually going to be enough people? When do we switch from being happy little sheeple into people who can think and act for themselves?

What can I do that actually transforms the definition of me from "sheeple" to "people that thinks and acts for myself"?

LOL I admit that comment is a little redundant and more like shouting into the wrong end of a megaphone, I guess I am speaking to those who defend the use of tasers despite the mounting evidence against and also to those who may read this who have not yet woken up.

Hope that clarifies it more

I like this bit...

The trial showed numerous examples of the weapon's usefulness.

I'll bet it did. It made people comply.

Originally posted by Kryties

...like shouting into the wrong end of a megaphone...

yep that clarified it all for me.


So where do you think the future of tasers will be?

I mean, obviously the police aren't just going to stop using them, as much as they should, but do you think the abuse of them will ever get bad enough for a public outcry for them to stop? Or do you think they will become a staple in every officers equipment belt? I'm leaning more toward the latter. Clearly if they are covering it up then it's hard for there to be an outcry.

In Toowoomba the police are trialling the use of "Body Cameras"*. They are designed for the police to record their "use of force" and only taser qualified officers will wear the cameras

However the police can turn the cameras on and off at their will









[edit on 6/7/10 by GobbledokTChipeater]

The Taser is the cattle prod.

In my opinion, If someone is so dangerous that they need to be tasered then the cops should just shoot them dead.

....Of course, then the cops would actually need a valid reason to use their weapon; unlike with tasers.

Wanna know a weapon that has been abused more than the taser?
The billie club, or bully club as it is.
It just takes less effort to push the button on the new bully.


Most abused weapons are non leathal torture devices.
I think the tasers need a time record of how long they tase the victim, so the cop can get taser therapy equal to the victim. This might make them a bit less trigger happy. Of course it won't happen, because for some reason we put the men in blue up on a protected pedestal.