- Law enforcement officials in Hesse are employing an increased use of Tasers.
In Hessen, law enforcement officers have utilized Tasers a total of 52 times this year up until now. As per the Hessian Interior Ministry, they were employed 33 times prior to mid-August, with potential use being threatened in 19 instances.
Comparatively, Tasers were deployed a total of 49 times throughout the entire prior year. They were employed 22 times in 2023, with potential use being threatened in 27 cases.
At present, there are 155 Tasers within the Hessian police headquarters' inventory. Additional 35 devices are in use with the Hessian Bereitschaftspolizei and the Hessian Academy for Public Management and Security (HöMS). Distanz-Elektroimpulsgeräte have been employed by the Hessian police's special units since 2005, and have been in regular service since 2017.
The Interior Ministry reported that there exists a risk of injuries and health complications, especially when used against individuals with pre-existing conditions. There have been two such cases so far this year; one instance resulting in a head injury due to a fall following Taser use, and another instance resulting in facial abrasions from a similar fall.
Since their implementation, three deaths in Hessen have occurred in 2018 and 2019, according to the Interior Ministry. These individuals had pre-existing health conditions.
Interior Minister Roman Poseck (CDU) has expressed his intention to increase the supply of Tasers to the Hessian police. "Police officers are increasingly being assaulted during deployments," he explained. Tasers serve a significant role in ensuring safety under specific circumstances.
The number of devices is expected to tripple, ensuring they are accessible across the state. Poseck's objective is to further augment this number in order to increase its availability. "However, we proceed with caution," he added. Taser usage necessitates thorough training, which must be consistently maintained. "Nonetheless, it's clear that Tasers are not a cure-all. In particularly precarious situations, the use of firearms remains an alternative, especially for risk mitigation," the interior minister concluded.
The electroshock pistol is specifically designed for high-risk scenarios where other measures are unlikely to yield favorable results. A strike from two dart electrodes from an electroshocker can momentarily incapacitate an individual for a few seconds.
In the context of the Hessian police's inventory, additional Tasers, which are other devices of a kind used for motor vehicles, are currently in use with the Hessian Bereitschaftspolizei and the Hessian Academy for Public Management and Security. During their training, police officers must be thoroughly equipped with the proper use of these Tasers, as their deployment necessitates specific expertise.
