GMP Fed Chair: It's brilliant news that more officers will be able to carry Taser

4 October 2019

The Government’s pledge to provide £10 million to equip officers with Taser should mean every police officer who wants to carry it should be able do, Greater Manchester Police Federation has said.

Chairman Stu Berry was speaking after Home Secretary Priti Patel announced that up to 60% of officers could be equipped with Taser – with £10 million being given to the police service to pay for it.

Stu said: “I think it’s absolutely brilliant news. I’m glad to see that the Government have changed and finally started listening to the police.

“It’s a great piece of kit. It will actually prevent more than we actually need to use it, I feel. We’ll have to use less force as a result of using it.

“And I echo the national stance, every police officer that wants it should be able to access it.”

The Home Secretary told the Conservative Party conference the funding decision meant she was “empowering” the service.

She said: “It is the job of chief constables to make that operational decision. It is the job of the Home Secretary to empower them to do so. I am giving them that power.”