Tasers won't kill anyone, says Scipione

Attention Braidwood Inquiry - you can call off your hearing into what caused the death of Robert Dziekanski!! New South Wales police commissioner Andrew Scipione already knows why he died: "The man in the Vancouver airport was (killed) because there were multiple taser users and they continued to tase," he told ABC Radio today ... "We have really strong ... procedures that govern the way we use these devices and it can't happen here."

October 2, 2008
The Australian

STRINGENT procedures would prevent deaths from the controversial taser stun guns set to be rolled out to general duties police officers in New South Wales, Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says.

The stun guns will be issued to two senior officers - the supervising sergeant and duty officer - at each of the state's 81 local area commands. Until today, the weapon was restricted to NSW Police Force's riot squad and elite tactical operations unit. The stun guns have been used about 50 times since they were introduced six years ago.

With 17 reported deaths worldwide linked to the use of tasers, fresh questions have been raised about the safety of their use.

But Mr Scipione said tough police procedures would avert deaths, such as that of a man who died in Canada last year after being shot repeatedly with tasers. "The man in the Vancouver airport was (killed) because there were multiple taser users and they continued to tase," he told ABC Radio today.

"We have really strong ... procedures that govern the way we use these devices and it can't happen here ... we're very well controlled in terms of when we can use them and we use them only in appropriate situations. There has been no documented death from the use of tasers here in Australia, and they are in widespread use."

The tasers would be a "less-than lethal option" in subduing violent offenders, he said. "There are people out there who are generally not very pleasant when it comes to having to intervene as a police officer - they're in the business of committing crimes, or they've lost control of their senses, be they heavily under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and police have to subdue them, we have to take them into custody," he said.

"So in a situation where police feel that there is no other option open to them the taser will give them an option before they go to a gun."

In a bid to alleviate community concerns, the taser X26 models are fitted with a small video camera on their stock to film their use.

A NSW Ombudsman report into the safety of tasers is not expected to be tabled before NSW Parliament until later this month. Mr Scipione said there was no need to postpone the taser roll-out until the report was released - with police well-versed in using the stun guns.

"We've had over 50 of them in use now for about five years," he said. "So we know that these particular devices will give us an advantage or assistance to our police on the road."