"Beam me up, Scottie"
01 January 2004
Ian Arundale, the ACPO advisor on the police use of firearms, has predicted that "Star-Trek-style phasers could be seen on the streets of the UK in years to come." Talking to the journal Police Review, Arundale expressed the hope that the technology, which does not exist at the moment, would supersede the use of the taser, which is currently on trial with five police forces in the UK. He told the magazine that ACPO would like to see a weapon that will temporarily switch people's brains off. In a further venture into the world of science fiction, Arundale suggested that the weapon should be able to be used from a distance, be reliable and be safe to both the officer and the target:
What we would like in the future is a Star-Trek-like phaser...that perfectly safely, temporarily switches someone's brain off so that officers can move in.
He continued: "We know we are not going to get that, probably not in my lifetime anyway, but we will look at anything that takes us in that direction."
Arundale also told Police Review that ACPO is looking at two alternatives to the baton round: "the attenuating energy projectile" (described as a "a safer version of the baton round") and the "discriminating irritant projectile ("pellets that explode to incapacitate the target with a localised cloud of gas"). Both devices are based on technology available in the USA and are alternatives being considered to replace the plastic bullet round in Northern Ireland. They are thought to be about eighteen months from being introduced. The Sinn Fein policing spokesman, Gerry Kelly, pointed out that the plastic bullets they will replace "are less lethal weapons that have killed 17 people". "The consideration of alternatives", he said, "is no excuse to delay further the removal of plastic bullets." He added that any alternatives must be "non-lethal" rather than "less-lethal".
Arundale, and the chief constable of the Thames Valley police force, Peter Neyroud, have recently called for a "UK-wide standard on the use of less-lethal technology". Neyroud said that "Forces in the UK need a single set of standards for tactics, training, equipment and command for firearms and less lethal weapons" while Arundale pointed out that "there are currently 61 different less lethal pieces of equipment on the market and only a proportion have been approved by law-enforcement agencies. We also want a standard of police training and tactics in place [for the UK] that less-lethal weapons should be used in accordance with."
Five forces are currently testing the taser, a weapon that delivers an electric shock that disables targets and has resulted in a number of deaths in the USA. There are particular concerns that it can aggravate heart conditions and about their effects on pregnant women. The taser has been used on 11 occasions during the tests: the Metropolitan police have used the weapon four times, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire constabulary have fired it three times each and North Wales police once. Under proposals from ACPO the weapon is expected to be deployed on completion of the trials. Neymoud, addressing a firearms conference in London, said that his experience led him to believe that the "taser had prevented officers from using fatal force to control incidents." However, Paul Acres chief constable of Hertfordshire constabulary, said that less-lethal weapons "will not replace firearms where officers need to protect themselves"
Police Review 13.2.04.