topics
tools
Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2304.58 1.43
DAX 6766.67 1.67
IBEX 30 8861.2 1.01
CAC 40 3427.92 1.52
FTSE 100 5901.07 1.81
AEX 326.33 1.01
DJIA 12849.29 1.13
Nasdaq 2904.45 1.57
FTSE MIB 16439.62 1.00
TSX Composite 12581.96 0.23
ASX 4320.1 -0.30
Hang seng 20756.98 0.08
Straits Times 2917.95 0.58
ISEQ 20 506.95 2.24
You are here: Home News French News French court suspended Taser use for local cops

French News

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


03/09/2009French court suspended Taser use for local cops

The state council ruled out the use of Taser guns by French local police officers because they had been rolled out without proper training and safeguards.

Paris – A French court Wednesday suspended the use of Taser stun guns for local police, after ruling they had been rolled out last year without proper training and safeguards.

The state council, the highest court of appeal, struck down a September 2008 government decree allowing France's 20,000 local police officers to carry Taser guns.

Municipal officers joined 4,600 national police and gendarmes who already use the weapon, which packs a 50,000-volt punch that can paralyse targets from up to 10 yards (meters) away, and is intended as an alternative to handguns.

In practice, a few dozen local police stations had started to arm officers with the guns.

But the court, responding to a suit filed by the RAIDH rights group, found that the government had green-lighted use of the Taser without putting in place proper training and evaluation mechanisms.

"The specificities of this new type of weapon require its use to be closely controlled and monitored," said the court ruling.

"That has been the case for its use by national police officers. Short of a similar and sufficiently precise system for local police officers, the decree allowing them to be equipped is cancelled."

Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux said the government would draw up a new decree incorporating the training requirements for local police.

To date, 4,615 Tasers have been issued to France's national police and gendarme force. They were used 280 times in 2007 without causing serious injury, cutting handgun use by 15 percent, according to police chiefs.

Many officials see the Taser as a safer alternative to the handgun, which local officers have been authorised to carry since 2000.

But human rights activists have criticized Taser guns, challenging manufacturer claims that they are safe and non-lethal.

A December 2008 report from Amnesty International said 334 people had died after being shocked by Tasers between 2001 and August 2008.

AFP / Expatica


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment
Discussion Forums

Sport in France

Open House at RITUEL PARIS - FREE CLASSES ON SUNDAY FEBRUARY 5TH

Community Noticeboard France

Republicans Abroad Europe

Immigration and Legal Problems

Doing PACS with my lesbian partner in France

Healthcare in France

U.S. federal employee health insurance coverage abroad

Discuss French Culture

<Dating>What are your views on dating the French?

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Management culture in France

Management culture in France

This handy guide from Expertise in Labour Mobility includes information on business hierarchy, negotiations, and etiquette.

American associations and clubs in Paris

American associations and clubs in Paris

A listing of organizations in the Paris area that cater primarily to Americans living in France. Updated April 2011.

British associations and clubs in Paris

British associations and clubs in Paris

Our handy guide to the British community in Paris, from cricket clubs to Scottish country dancing lessons to where to find a jar of Marmite.

Anglophone services in France

Anglophone services in France

Here's a short introduction to our Banking section for those living in France, from how to open a bank account to Islamic banking and investments.