Home Secretary Claims Too Many Ethnic Minorities Get Tasered

Home Secretary Claims Too Many Ethnic Minorities Get Tasered

The Home Secretary has claimed too many ethnic minorities get tasered by British Police, and more “transparency” is needed. Theresa May has now ordered a review after it was revealed half of those who the police have used it on are non-white.

She wants to see full records taken of everyone who is tasered so that policy-makers can assess if any particular group is being unfairly targeted. A Home Office spokesman told the Guardian: “Just as with stop and search, we need to bring proper accountability to these powers – including information that exposes how certain ethnic groups are affected.”

But the Police are unhappy about the extra paperwork involved. John Tully, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: “It strikes me that it’s a duplication of some work that is already carried out on arrest, for example. 

“It’s another outrageous waste of time. This is yet another move by the government to impose restrictions upon the police service to the detriment of officers’ ability to serve the public.”

Statistics show that tasers were drawn, aimed or fired 10,488 times in the year to the end of June, a 13 percent rise on the previous year. 

The reason for the high number of uses against ethnic minorities is unclear however the Home Office has not accused the police of deliberate racism.

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