A poll has revealed that nearly three in five Scots support equipping every police officer with a Taser, as calls grow to protect both officers and the public from escalating violence and attacks. The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), representing rank-and-file officers, has advocated for a broader deployment of the incapacitating devices ahead of Thursday’s Holyrood election, citing an increasing number of violent incidents involving weapons such as knives and machetes.
Public Support for Tasers
The survey, conducted for justice and home affairs magazine 1919, found that 28 per cent of Scots ‘strongly agree’ that all police officers should be supplied with and trained to use a Taser, with an additional 31 per cent agreeing. Only 7 per cent ‘strongly disagreed’ with the idea, while 10 per cent disagreed. The results indicate a clear majority in favour of the measure.
SPF general secretary David Kennedy stated: ‘The public understand the pressures and the violence police officers are facing. The message to the parties is the public back police officers having access to a Taser.’ He emphasised that any officer on operational duties should have the device ‘so they can defend themselves and members of the public’.
Current Deployment and Rising Attacks
Currently, Scotland has 16,416 full-time equivalent police officers, but only 2,000 are trained in Taser use. Attacks on police have risen by 6.3 per cent to 7,159 in 2024-25. Mr Kennedy noted that having Tasers makes officers ‘safer and allows them to react when required’, and hopes wider availability will reduce assaults. He highlighted that ‘there’s often no back-up for officers’ during incidents, and offenders appear ‘more willing to attack police officers’.
Recent incidents, such as the use of Tasers by London police to arrest a man accused of a knife attack on two Jewish men, underscore the utility of the devices.
Political and Police Response
Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr stated that the Tories ‘support the use of Tasers by police officers and rolling them out more widely with the right training’. Chief Superintendent Stevie Dolan of Police Scotland’s Operational Support Division acknowledged the survey results and public views, adding that Tasers ‘give officers an additional tactical option’ and ‘protect the public and emergency service workers from violent individuals’. He noted that the mere presence of a Taser is often enough to de-escalate situations.
