Amnesty International has welcomed today’s recommendations by the Queensland Police Service and the state’s Crime and Misconduct Commission contained within the ‘Review of Taser Policy, Training and Monitoring and Review Practices’ for the Queensland Police Service.

Amnesty International spokesperson Katie Wood said:

“These recommendations represent a significant step forward in acknowledging the dangers inherent in stun weapons, and largely mirror the calls Amnesty International has been making for some time.

“In particular, Amnesty International welcomes the recommendations for increased training for officers, that the use of these weapons be prohibited unless there is a real risk of serious injury to a person, and that it be acknowledged that these weapons have been associated with and linked to deaths.

“We also commend the specific guidance the review provides on the appropriate deployment of the weapons to reduce the incidence of fatalities or other serious harm.

“Amnesty International has always acknowledged the need for police to have a range of force options available to them. However, where stun weapons are concerned we have always urged caution. Based on research Amnesty International has conducted in North America, stun weapons should be considered a lethal force option and deployed only as a last resort, by properly trained officers.”

Background

In December 2008, Amnesty International released the report Less than lethal?: The use of stun weapons in US law enforcement which was among documents considered by the Queensland review team.

In January 2009, Amnesty International distributed a copy of the report to all Police Ministers and Commissioners across Australia. In an accompanying letter, the organisation urged them to limit the use of the weapons to appropriately-trained officers and to life threatening situations, or to suspend use of the weapons until a thorough, impartial and independent investigation into the medical and other effects of the weapons is concluded.