Police Can Use Tasers From 1 September

By , 31 Aug 2020, 15:09 PM Politics
Screenshot from the interesting, and embedded, film the police have released to accompany the news Screenshot from the interesting, and embedded, film the police have released to accompany the news

Share this:

STA, 31 August 2020 - Slovenian police officers who will find themselves in danger will be able to use electroshock weapons against their attackers as of 1 September. The use of the new weapon will be very restricted and all procedures involving them will be recorded, the police has said.

Slovenia currently has 20 sets of the Taser X2 paralyser, and 237 experienced police officers have been trained to use them, the General Police Department said.

The weapon, which is used by police in most EU countries, will be available in Slovenia three years after the police tasks and powers act, which legalised them, was passed under the Miro Cerar government.

The conditions for use of Taser X2 will be strict, especially when it is used against vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, pregnant women and the disabled, according to Vladimir Ilič from the General Police Department.

A police officer will be able to use the weapon against these groups of people only in circumstances that would also allow them to use firearms.

Experience from abroad has shown that with the right tactical approach, a police officer carrying an electroshock weapon can prevent the escalation of a situation and the use of a firearm, Ilič said.

Police officers will carry the paralyser in a way that it can be seen and will have to warn perpetrators before its use.

When turned on, the paralyser's light and two lasers will be on, while a sound warning is optional. The device can fire two small barbed darts intended to puncture the skin or clothes to administer the shock through a thin flexible wire.

The Taser X2 paralyser has a maximum power of 50,000 volts. Only 1.2 kilovolts is required to paralyse an attacker but the device regulates the power automatically, explained Matjaž Čuček for the General Police Department.

The electroshock weapons will be used together with a special camera that will automatically switch on to record police procedure 30 seconds before the firing, and a first aid kit to help the target.

Renata Rajapakse from the Health Ministry said that every person on whom the weapon would be used would be examined by a doctor.

All big police stations have received the new weapons, while one went to the special police forces.

During the passage of the bill paving the way for the use of the electroshock weapons, several NGO opposed them. The then Human Rights Ombudsman Vlasta Nussdorfer also expressed reservation.

Photo galleries and videos

This websie uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.