IT is good news that legislation has been changed to allow officers to carry Taser and other PPE in court.<\/p>\n
South Yorkshire Police Federation said the move will protect officers and members of the public who are in the court.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
South Yorkshire Police Federation Chairman Steve Kent said the move was \u201ccommon sense\u201d.<\/p>\n
He continued: \u201cAs far as I\u2019m concerned, officers should have a full range of PPE as and when it\u2019s required. The courtroom should be a safe place, but unfortunately it\u2019s not and there have been cases in the past \u2013 including in our region \u2013 where people have displayed extreme violence within a court system.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it\u2019s no different to anywhere else, as far as I\u2019m concerned. Officers need to have that equipment to protect themselves and protect members of the public \u2013 Taser should be available everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve said the atmosphere in courtrooms could become \u201cemotionally charged\u201d, so officers \u201cabsolutely 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\u2019s almost a bizarre notion that they\u2019ve not been allowed it until now\u201d.<\/p>\n
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\u2019 time. This evidence helped the National Police Chiefs\u2019 Council (NPCC) campaign for the changes.<\/p>\n
PFEW Firearms and Taser Lead Steve Hartshorn said: \u201cThis much welcomed and long-overdue decision means [officers] can better protect themselves, the courts\u2019 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.\u201d<\/p>\n