Taser incidents involving children double over two years
Fiona Simpson
Thursday, August 26, 2021
The number of children involved in police taser incidents has more than doubled over two years, a new report from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) reveals.
The report raises concerns over the increase of incidents involving children aged 11 to 17 which rose from 938 in 2017/18 to 2,795 in 2019/20.
There has also been an increase in the number of children aged under 11 involved in taser incidents from 16 in 2017/18 to 23 in 2019/20.
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Tasers were only discharged in 138 of these cases, the report states, none of which involved under-11s.
The increase in the use of taser on young people was highlighted in 2014 by the Independent Police Complaints Commission’s review of incidents over the previous decade.
“This remains a significant concern to many, especially in light of the increase in taser use against children,” the IOPC report states.
It raises particular concern over the use of taser on young black men and boys and children with learning difficulties.
“Home Office data does not provide a breakdown of the ethnicity of the children involved in taser incidents. However, responses to Freedom of Information requests by the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, part of Just for Kids Law, showed that, in the first 10 months of 2019, 74 per cent of children who had a taser used on them in London were from a black, Asian and minority ethnic background,” it adds.
“The IOPC Youth Panel has argued for officers to be educated on the history behind common stereotypes and misperceptions and for recruitment to ensure that biased officers are refused entry. The panel also suggested regular testing for officer bias,” the IPOC says.
The report notes that six cases involving the use of a taser on people under 18 were reviewed by the IOPC while working on the report.
The youngest of these individuals were two 14-year-old black males, three were 17, and one was recorded as "under 18".
Two of the remaining under-18s were female – one white and one black – and two were male – one white and one of mixed ethnicity.
Three had mental health concerns or learning disabilities and two were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Two of the six people who were under 18 suffered serious injuries.
The report states: “Concerns about the use of taser on children and young people are particularly acute amongst black, Asian minority ethnic groups. Our stakeholders have reported that some parents from a black, Asian minority ethnic background are becoming increasingly worried that their children will be tasered, and this is exacerbated because no strict taser protocols are in place to govern its use.”
In a series of 17 recommendations put forward by the IOPC, the office calls on the College of Policing to review training on the use of tasers, particularly in incidents involving children and instructs police forces to ensure that effective mechanisms are in place for robust monitoring and scrutiny of the use of tasers against children.
Responding to the report, Louise King, director of the Children’s Rights Alliance for England and director of policy and campaigns at Just for Kids Law, said the cases noted in the report were “alarming”.
“We would like to see the use of tasers on children eliminated but at the very least expect the IOPC recommendations to be urgently implemented to ensure tasers are only used when absolutely necessary.”