WITH the spectre of police pepper spraying chained dogs fresh in our minds Liberal leader Jeremy Hanson wants to give free reign to the police with electrical armaments.

“ACT Labor should finally sideline the politics and give ACT police the power to train and equip all frontline officers with tasers,” Jeremy said.

“If frontline officers carry a gun, senior police should be able to determine whether or not they have a potentially less harmful weapon in a taser.

“Over the past three years in the ACT, only substantive sergeants have been issued with tasers. This is problematic because substantive sergeants aren’t always the first officers on the scene when frontline officers often have to confront violent individuals.

“Numerous incidents have occurred in the ACT where firearms have been used by police with tragic consequences when at the time tasers have not been available as an option. Furthermore, the Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA) has called for the use of tasers to be rolled out to all trained, sworn ACT police officers.

“Simon Corbell needs to stop playing politics with tasers, do what makes sense and potentially save lives. Tasers have successfully been issued to substantive sergeants over the past three years and now is the time to give police the power they need to increase safety for all Canberrans,” Mr Hanson concluded.

[Photo by Christopher Smythers, attribution licence]