Thats ok STG.
You never ever spoke to me, only at me.
Tasers are not for self defense.
In fact they are an attempt to help police control those who other wise would need to be shot.
And they are failing, some not all police have over used them, deaths too many, are taking place.
Now no need exists to get down on our knees and grovel, but police are in fact much needed and respected people.
most of them.
During high profile easter week traffic campaigns again and again Sydney police are stunned by the warmth they get from local community's.
EVERY job has its problem children, tasered 13 times? and a mental health case? no please.
Big tough men once wore the uniform, they could control a charging bull, please do not forget not one of these recent deaths involved an armed suspect.
I stand by my comment.

I discussed this issue with a workmate today. He is an ex policeman & he told me that at times, if someone is totally smackered it actually does take several zaps before they start to react to a taser. The response to tasers apparently varies from individual to individual although I don't like to refer to morons as individual in general. Because that's what most recipients of a taser zap are.

StG, "Cornflower. Would you rather they just use batons and guns?."

What is needed is for those who refuse to comply with the policy for use of force, regardless of category, to be shunted out of the police force ASAP. Similarly, the police force is no place for someone who takes bribes. The code of conduct is there for the good of the police force, to get results, not just to please critics.

If the police are casual about obeying laws and regulations themselves, the public confidence on which good law enforcement depends, is soon lost.

I spoke in my first post about my support for the police.
I did not mention my uncle once a detective Sargent.
We have managed to over look one of these deaths was while in custody, another on his door step.
I do not disagree with the use of Tasers, even those guns used to drug animals may be of use.
I think over use of a tool bought in to being for extremes is wrong.
Putting a halo on the head of every police officer is unrealistic.
My football mates often police, those who put their hand on my shoulder behind a truck as the death scene got too much for me, those I put my hands on as they suffered that way.
They without shame, talk of needless bashing and cruelty from some in the thin blue line.
Ideas that those tasered are, well read the last few posts, are just exactly why some police, who hold similar views, are the problem.

Yesterdays print media reported on a police officer who has been charged with 3 brutal bashings.
Each was of a prisoner in his custody.
It was said [but may not be true] his training included a police teacher saying, [surely if it happened in jest?] *if you think about spraying poison over the public its time to change jobs*
Now he is said to have told his workmates he is past that, wanted to spray the public with Napalm.
Not no most police, not many, but some, clearly like every single job in the world,are in the wrong job.
Now just maybe some Taser use has been miss use and a crime, Police ,good ones are worth more than we can pay them.
We however do not pay them to kill or torture.

The problem with tasers is simple - it removes the need for strong and defensible appraisal of a situation and replaces it with a "shoot first, ask questions later" model.

That model is all the vogue in Australian bureaucracies these days.