Sweden mulls equipping police officers with taser guns

Swedish police officers are to be equipped with taser guns in a pilot scheme following several years' call from within the police force, local media reported Monday.

There has been repeated calls for taser guns within the police force after multiple fatal police shootings occurred in recent years.

An internal police working group and the police authority's ethical council have given the all-clear for introducing taser guns within the police force as part of a trial scheme.

"We have now decided to introduce a trial with stun guns," the news agency TT quoted National Police Commissioner Dan Eliasson as saying, adding, "it may help create even better possibilities for our staff members to protect themselves."

Eliasson said research from the police authority shows that human injuries and fatalities can be avoided if officers complement existing weapons with tasers, which cause muscle cramps that temporarily paralyses the person hit by the electric shock.

There have been calls to equip all officers in external duty with tasers, but it may take some time for that to happen.

"First we have to purchase the equipment, then train with the equipment and then draw up regulations for how to use them," Eliasson said. "We must also get hold of an external evaluator who can help us feel secure in how to develop the trial project in a way that means it can be properly evaluated."

The trial is expected to commence in 2018. Endit