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| Beat officers set for Taser trial | Beat officers set for Taser trial |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Strathclyde Police is to become the first force in Scotland to issue Taser stun guns to beat officers. | Strathclyde Police is to become the first force in Scotland to issue Taser stun guns to beat officers. |
| The pilot project will run from March to September and involve 30 officers in Glasgow and South Lanarkshire. | The pilot project will run from March to September and involve 30 officers in Glasgow and South Lanarkshire. |
| The programme is due to be discussed at a meeting of Strathclyde Police Authority. | |
| However, a spokesman for Amnesty International Scotland said the three-day training which will be given to officers was insufficient. | |
| Taser guns can deliver a 50,000 volt electrical charge and are designed to incapacitate rather than cause serious injury. | |
| Strathclyde Police, along with other UK forces, introduced the guns in 2005 for use by authorised firearms officers. | |
| The idea of these devices becoming an everyday presence on Scottish streets is something we're very concerned about John WatsonAmnesty International Scotland | |
| But under the pilot, officers will undertake a three-day training course before being issued with the weapons during "operational duties". | |
| Amnesty International's John Watson said the charity was not opposed to the use of Tasers but raised concerns about training. | |
| "We support the current system whereby Tasers are held by specially trained firearms officers," he said. | |
| "Training involves strategies for dealing with confrontation, stress and anger. It takes place over months and is an ongoing thing. | |
| "Now we're talking about Tasers being given to ordinary officers, dealing with whatever situation arises in their day, and getting three days of training for that - that's quite a different scenario." | |
| He added: "The idea of these devices becoming an everyday presence on Scottish streets is something we're very concerned about. | |
| "It really has the potential to change the nature of policing in Scotland and this is going ahead without much of a public debate about it." | |
| Police assaults | Police assaults |
| The pilot project, costing £45,559, will extend this to beat officers serving in Glasgow city centre and Rutherglen and Cambuslang. | The pilot project, costing £45,559, will extend this to beat officers serving in Glasgow city centre and Rutherglen and Cambuslang. |
| These sub divisions have been chosen as they currently experience a higher number of police assaults compared with other areas. | These sub divisions have been chosen as they currently experience a higher number of police assaults compared with other areas. |
| Ch Supt Bob Hamilton, who is in charge of the pilot, said: "The three-day Taser training is the exact same training as the firearms officers get in relation to Tasers. | |
| "We don't want to dilute the training, it's a very important matter." | |
| The officer also said there would be strict guidelines over the deployment of the device. | |
| Strathclyde Police Authority is due to discuss the pilot and formal approval is likely at a later date. |