Taser Now Allowed In Court
IT is good news that legislation has been changed to allow officers to carry Taser and other PPE in court.
South Yorkshire Police Federation said the move will protect officers and members of the public who are in the court.
Police bodies have been campaigning for years for a change in legislation and they welcomed the news that the Lord Chief Justice has amended the Criminal Practice Direction.
Subject to local policy, officers will no longer have to remove their PPE when attending court on routine business, such as giving evidence or delivering exhibits.
South Yorkshire Police Federation Chairman Steve Kent said the move was “common sense”.
He continued: “As far as I’m concerned, officers should have a full range of PPE as and when it’s required. The courtroom should be a safe place, but unfortunately it’s not and there have been cases in the past – including in our region – where people have displayed extreme violence within a court system.
“So it’s no different to anywhere else, as far as I’m concerned. Officers need to have that equipment to protect themselves and protect members of the public – Taser should be available everywhere.”
Steve said the atmosphere in courtrooms could become “emotionally charged”, so officers “absolutely need to have the PPE, not just to protect the officers, but also to protect members of the public who are in the court. It’s almost a bizarre notion that they’ve not been allowed it until now”.
The PFEW, which has pushed for this change, highlighted the difficulty members faced when having to remove and store their equipment before being allowed into court. It said there was a lack of storage facilities and that the process ate into officers’ time. This evidence helped the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) campaign for the changes.
PFEW Firearms and Taser Lead Steve Hartshorn said: “This much welcomed and long-overdue decision means [officers] can better protect themselves, the courts’ staff and the public if faced with violence or threats of violence and we appreciate the Judiciary and senior judges for listening to the concerns raised.”