Staffordshire Police officers to be given double-shot Tasers

The force is to introduce upgraded X2 Tasers, which are double-shot weapons capable of firing twice before needing to be reloaded.

If deployed, the new devices will also automatically activate officers' body-worn cameras.

Staffordshire Police has one of the highest proportions of Taser-trained officers in the country, with 350 specially-trained officers in addition to its armed officers who also carry Tasers.

Funded by the Staffordshire Commissioner's Office, the new Tasers will be rolled out to staff over the next 12 months and replace the previous weapons which have been used since 2003.

Deputy chief constable Emma Barnett said: "Staffordshire has always been one of the forces with the highest percentage of Taser-trained officers.

"The use of force is always a last resort and the decision to use a Taser is never taken lightly and is deployed on a threat and risk basis.

"However, Taser is an important tactical option for officers when needed and the force’s decision to invest in upgrading the existing Taser equipment from the current single shot to the new advanced X2 double-shot model will offer improved protection for officers and the public they are working to keep safe.

“Officer safety is a priority and assaults on police officers are never acceptable.

"We need to be able to protect those officers while they carry out their duty and provide welfare and support to our staff who are injured.”

Matthew Ellis, the county's police, fire and rescue and crime commissioner, added: "We owe it to our police officers to protect them and give them the best equipment possible, so I was happy to make funding available for these advanced devices.

“The extra investment in policing I asked people to make through local tax is already making a significant difference here in Staffordshire – whether that’s through new technology like the drones and off-road bikes for the Roads Policing Unit, or the enhanced missing persons investigation team and the dedicated Disruptions Team to tackle serious harm.”

In 2019 Tasers were deployed 209 times across Staffordshire but only fired 15 times.