Michael McKenna; 8/1/09
Civil liberties lawyers have called for tighter controls on the roll-out of tasers to frontline Queensland police as it was confirmed an officer who used the stun gun last year on an unarmed teenage girl had escaped disciplinary action. Queensland’s police force this week became Australia’s first to issue tasers to general duties’ officers as debate rages around the world over the use of the stun guns, blamed for more than 50 deaths in the US since 2001 and at least one fatality in Australia, in NSW in 2002.
On Tuesday, civil liberties lawyers were briefed about Queensland police guidelines and training for more than 5000 officers, who last year were fast-tracked access to tasers by the Bligh Government, barely six months into a year-long trial. Lawyers said the guidelines were not tough enough in dictating the use of the guns.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24885936-5013945,00.html
Tags: Australia, Human Rights, taser, Violence