Vic: Police boss rules out Tasers

AAP General News (Australia)
04-21-2009
Vic: Police boss rules out Tasers

By Greg Roberts

MELBOURNE, April 21 AAP - Victoria Police will be given only limited use of the controversial
Taser guns under procedures outlined by the state's new police commissioner Simon Overland.

Despite earlier indications that he was keener on the idea of universal issue of the
device than his predecessor who resisted their use, Mr Overland will keep the status quo.

The announcement comes after a court case in Western Australia last month in which
a police officer was attacked and partially paralysed after using a Taser on a suspect
who suffered a heart attack.

Mr Overland told the Melbourne Press Club on Tuesday he would not be giving Tasers
to every member of Victoria Police.

"You can rule that out now," he said.

"You've actually got to be quite close to someone before it can work ... if you've
got a homicidal maniac with an axe running at you and you're relying on this thing and
it doesn't work, you're dead."

The news is expected to anger the police union and some other groups who called for
the electroshock weapons to take pressure off police after 15-year-old Tyler Cassidy was
shot dead by police in Melbourne last December.

The teenager was allegedly armed with two large knives and had charged at police who
shot him dead after attempts to subdue him with capsicum foam failed.

"Our SOG (Special Operations Group) and CIRT (Critical Incident Response Teams) currently
have Tasers ... the current thinking is a more expanded use of them within a greater
CIRT capacity," Mr Overland said.

Mr Overland also released the latest crime statistics which showed violent assaults,
robberies and theft from cars had risen, but overall crime had remained stable over the
past year.

The biggest jump was in "other" crime (5.8 per cent), which refers to public order
offences such as drunkenness and misbehaviour.

The overall crime rate rose by 0.2 per cent.

Mr Overland said the stats were reliable but admitted improvements were needed in how
crime data was collected.

"The crime rate is still down 23-24 per cent over the last eight years, this is a safe
community," he said.

"However, we've had 6,000 computers and 6,000 GPS units stolen from cars that's not
our fault, that's individuals making unwise decisions to leave valuables in cars."

He said rises in assaults were related to greater reporting of family violence and
street violence that was often related to alcohol abuse.

Mr Overland also launched a new police online news website that, he said, would make
information available "in real time to the community".

AAP gr/mh/ht/mn

KEYWORD: POLICE VIC WRAP (WITH FACTBOX)

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.