Giving Cops gun
Guns may be put in squad cars
The Police Commissioner is considering putting more guns in patrol cars in response to a rising number of assaults on frontline staff. Howard Broad says three attacks on officers at the weekend have prompted police to explore ways of deterring such assaults.
The favourite bogey man used to explain more violence against Police is the dreaded drug P - IF people are pumped up on P, they aren't going to be rational when confronted by a gun are they? This favourite bogey man has been played down of late in the face of the above response.
Why are we contemplating giving Police guns when they refuse to show us what they are doing with Tasers? See I have no problems giving the Police the tools they need to safely do their job, they are after all servants of the State providing a necessary service, my beef has always been the check and balance, we live in a western liberal democracy, not a Police State and as such Police Powers HAVE to be open to intense public scrutiny.
Tasers have cameras on them that take images of everyone tasered, why can't the public see those images and know the Police are using Tasers properly? In fact the cameras were one of the safety mechanisms hailed by Police when they introduced Tasers telling us the Public could be confident because Police actions would always be filmed.
The excuse used that Police are protecting the privacy of those they Taser when numerous Police propaganda TV show's on screen have people with their faces blurred interacting with the Police all the time suggests the real reason the Police are hiding the Taser footage is because NZers would be appalled at who is getting tasered and how.
Let's not give cops more access to guns until we are certain about the checks and balances for the current weapons Police have.
posted by Bomber @ 8:05 am
7 comments
7 Comments:
"The favourite bogey man used to explain more violence against Police is the dreaded drug P - IF people are pumped up on P, they aren't going to be rational when confronted by a gun are they?"
How SHOULD cops address someone pumped on P then...with their tazers...or, let me guess, through preventative measures to remove the root cause of drug use in society?
I happen to be against arming police, but the "P pumped" case lends itself to the sort of non-lethal force a tazer presents...and sorry...it's probably going to have to be used to coerce compliance...unless of course police are expected to wait until they are attacked so they can use them in self defence in order to fit into the neat little definition you favour.
How SHOULD cops address someone pumped on P then...with their tazers...or, let me guess, through preventative measures to remove the root cause of drug use in society?
A mix from column A with a mix of column B
but the "P pumped" case lends itself to the sort of non-lethal force a tazer presents...
Which we can't know if are being used reasonably because the Police are not going to release the images?
and sorry...it's probably going to have to be used to coerce compliance...
Well then that would breach the current guidelines.
unless of course police are expected to wait until they are attacked so they can use them in self defence in order to fit into the neat little definition you favour.
Anon, it's not a case of 'one I favour' - its that policy that says it.
Police may use Tasers only to:
* Defend themselves, or others, if they fear physical injury to themselves, or others, and they cannot reasonably protect themselves, or others, less forcefully.
* Arrest an offender if they believe on reasonable grounds he or she poses a threat of physical injury and the arrest cannot be effected less forcefully.
* Resolve an incident where a person is acting in a manner likely to physically injure themselves and the incident cannot be resolved less forcefully.
* Prevent the escape of an offender if they believe on reasonable grounds that he or she poses a threat of physical injury to any person, and the escape cannot be prevented less forcefully.
* Deter attacking animals.
Which we can't know if are being used reasonably because the Police are not going to release the images?
So a trial by public is the only way to know if the tazers are being used reasonably?
We complain about the Police having tasers and we complain about the Police having guns? I would have thought the taser a far better option than handguns on hips. Maybe they are not showing us the evidence Bomber because the people getting tasered are probably obnoxious, pissed, arrogant white middle class fools! Now that would be embarrassing.
Now if I was 'P'd' off my chops I think I would rather look down the barrel of a taser cam thanks than a glock barrel.
I am sure (and you will probably not agree) that the Police checks and balances are very rigid and 'proper.' They know they are accountable and it would be folly to not observe best practice at all times.
I certainly wouldn't put a foot out of line if I was Howard Broad as Judith Collins would have a high heal up his chuff in no time!
Give me the taser any day thanks!
kids dont have tasers, maybe we could swap them for their uzis?
There are two entirely compatible sides to this. One is that being a cop is a bloody awful job that most of us would not have the guts to do, and they are undoubtedly in danger on a frequent basis as they keep crims and yobboes away from you and me. It makes sense to keep them safe. The other side is that history tells us that power corrupts, which is why we have democracy and not Robert Mugabe et al, and why we need information about exactly what uses power is being put to. Give the police what they need, and make sure they tell us what they're doing with it.
mrs hawes, that is a perfect answer for this. each time they use a taser the video should be made avalible to the zapped person. this would make damn sure they were careful about the use yet they would have the tools avalible to stop violent crime. well done
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