DEATH MUST RESULT IN A TASER REVIEW

Has the Taser Become the Weapon of Choice for Queensland
Police?

With statistics indicating that police use Tasers at least once every
three days in Queensland, it's a question many want answered. And
never more so than now, following the death of a north Queensland man
last week, just 30 minutes after receiving from police three 1200-volt
Taser shocks. Reports suggest the man was drug-affected, brandishing
an iron bar, and unaffected by capsicum spray. Many will therefore
suggest the deceased had only himself to blame, and given the very
limited options police have when faced with violent, drug-crazed
offenders, this unfortunate outcome was probably inevitable.

But there are other disturbing reports of Taser use. What of the
handcuffed man zapped in his cell? Or the 16-year-old girl Tasered for
failing to obey a police direction? To what extent are police using
Tasers not out of self-protection but out of annoyance?

There are three additional questions Queenslanders want answered: How
safe are Tasers? How necessary are they to law enforcement? And have
Tasers moved from a next-to-last last resort to police's first
response? Sadly, these questions don't look like being answered
anytime soon.

Many were stunned last week when Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson
unilaterally ruled out, despite last week's death, any review of Taser
use. It was a response unreasonable, as it was ill-considered. Mr
Atkinson cannot possibly be across all the facts of the incident and,
even if he were, the Police Commissioner has exceeded his authority.
Reviews are a matter of policy, and policy is the sole province of
ministers of the Crown. This, of course, raises the additional
question of why Police Minister Neil Roberts has so far been silent on
the issue.

Many of the political problems facing Taser use stretch back to former
Minister Judy Spence's usually close relationship with the Queensland
Police Union. Tasers were always on the union's wish list, and were
bulldozed into Queensland under a 12-month trial in 2007. Ms Spence
refused to wait until the trial's conclusion or for any subsequent
evaluation report, and - despite earlier figures indicating assaults
on police had decreased by 16 per cent - hastily announced in early
2008 their full introduction for more than 5000 police. While later
delayed - quite rightly - over concerns for their safe storage, Tasers
became fully operational from the beginning of this year.

We now know that that haste has come at great political and human
cost. The fact the State Government went ahead with a full
introduction of Tasers, despite the Crime and Misconduct Commission
having on its books nine complaints about improper police Taser use,
is disturbing. But the lack of government interest in a review of
Taser use now a death has occurred is appalling. Cabinet must announce
some form of review of police Taser use, even if that review reveals
the State Government initially got it wrong. This issue is far more
critical than saving political face.