The Gujarat Police is now equipped with Taser guns as a part of their modernization drive to ensure public safety and security, as per a statement from the office of the Director General of Police in Gujarat, Shivanand Jha.
According to Gujarat Police officials, taser guns have been introduced to find an alternative between “ineffective lathis” and “deadly guns”. By introducing these as part of the police arsenal, Gujarat becomes the first state in India to do so, following in the footsteps of agencies such as the UK Metropolitan Police, the Los Angeles Police Department and the New York Police Department, among others.
“Law enforcement agencies in India are often criticized for excess use of force and avoidable killings while dealing with hardened criminals and violent mobs. In cases of unruly mob indulging in violence, at present, police exercise lathi strikes and use tear gas shells. Police response in such adverse situations has always been under scrutiny for it is either disproportionate or ineffective.
Whenever firearms are used to control a violent situation, it is alleged that police use excessive force than is required, creating more litigation against police officers. The search for an alternate use of lethal firearms by law enforcement agencies culminated in developing non-lethal weapons such as taser guns. A taser gun uses compressed nitrogen to fire two probes that attach to a subject, sending electricity through attached wires. These electric signals temporarily overwhelm communications to muscles, rendering the subject temporarily incapacitated and allowing officers to safely restrain and handle the situation,” said the statement from the DGP’s office.
