TASERS


TASER USE RISES AS ASSAULTS ON POLICE CONTINUE TO CLIMB


Police officers in England and Wales are increasingly relying on


Taser devices as their first line of defence, as assaults on officers rise sharply and frontline risks continue to intensify


New analysis of Home Office use of force data released by Axon shows officers are now six times more likely to use a Taser than a baton when acting in self- protection. Tasers are also used around one and a half times more frequently than irritant spray, despite batons and spray being standard issue and Tasers carried only by officers who have completed specialist training. The data also underlines the deterrent


value of the device. In 91 per cent of self- protection incidents involving a Taser, the device is drawn but not discharged,


16 | POLICE | FEBRUARY | 2026


indicating that the presence of a Taser alone is often enough to deescalate volatile encounters without physical force. This growing reliance on Taser comes


“Our members go to work every day knowing the risks are increasing. They


amid a sustained rise in violence against police. Assaults on officers have increased by nearly 40 per cent since 2015, with more than 41,000 assaults recorded last year


deserve to be properly protected, properly supported and properly valued.”


alone. At the same time, officers continue to face these dangers while earning less in real terms than they did a decade ago, compounding concerns around morale, retention and officer safety. Official figures show that the majority of force used by police is now defensive, with around 61 per cent of recorded use of force incidents linked to self-protection. These pressures are further


intensified by persistent levels of single crewing across forces. Recent data shows there has been no improvement in rates of single crewing,


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