Rugby MP Mark Pawsey welcomed an increase in the number of Warwickshire Police Officers trained in the use of Tasers during recent Parliamentary questions.
Warwickshire Police has recently announced that it had been successful in securing Home Office funding to ensure that more of their officers are trained to carry and use Tasers. Overall, the funding will mean that 28% of Warwickshire’s officers are able to use Tasers, up from 20% at present.
Rugby MP Mark Pawsey raised the importance of this initiative in Business Questions in the House of Commons, highlighting that the use of Tasers helps to keep both officers and members of the public safe from incidents of violent crime. The Leader of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, joined Mark in welcoming the increased resources for the police and praised the work of Philip Seccombe, Warwickshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, in delivering this boost for local policing.
After Business Questions, Mark commented:
“Keeping local residents safe is the highest priority for both the Government and for Warwickshire Police, which is why this additional funding to increase the number of Tasers is so important. I know from speaking to local residents that they want to see the police given the resources and support they need to fight crime.”
Mark continued:
“This forms just one part of the investment which the Government and Warwickshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Seccombe, are making in our local police force. Alongside an increase in the number of officers able to use Tasers, under the recruitment currently taking place Warwickshire Police are set to grow to have over 1,000 officers in the coming months, meaning Rugby residents will be safer than ever before.
Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe added:
“This is really welcome news which means the Chief Constable can now boost the number of police officers trained and equipped with Taser to around 28% of the total force. Very often the simple fact that officers carry Taser is enough to de-escalate potentially violent and confrontational situations without it ever having to be deployed or fired, so it is an effective piece of equipment in helping keep all our communities safe. Importantly this news also means that the police officers who work so hard to protect our communities will now be better able to protect themselves from violent assault, while also having an extra deterrent against those who wish to cause harm to themselves or others.”