Marco Buschmann - Minister of Justice wants to equip police with stun guns - criticism from police union
New Year's Eve is approaching - and with it the fear of riots and street battles at the turn of the year. Marco Buschmann has now commented on this. In the debate about violence against emergency services, the Federal Minister of Justice is in favor of the use of remote electro-pulse devices, so-called Tasers, in all federal states.
The FDP politician wrote to Berlin's Senator for Justice Felor Badenberg (non-partisan), who is currently Chairwoman of the Conference of Justice Ministers of the Federal States, stating that the protection of emergency services under criminal law could already be adequately guaranteed today. "It is necessary to apply these instruments consistently. Difficulties in identifying perpetrators cannot be solved by tightening criminal regulations," said Buschmann in the letter, which was first reported on Saturday by the "Tagesspiegel". It was also made available to the news agency DPA.
Marco Buschmann: Laws do not need to be tightened
Buschmann referred to the result of a review that the justice ministers of the federal states had requested following the New Year's Eve/New Year's Day 2022/2023 riots. As a result, he sees no need to tighten the law. "However, the best possible equipment for police officers undoubtedly contributes to the effective protection of emergency services," said Buschmann. Data surveys indicate that Tasers "have a preventative effect, which is why I would like to encourage the examination of a nationwide use in those federal states where this is not yet the case".
Rhineland-Palatinate was the first federal state to introduce Tasers at the end of 2018. The remote electro-pulse device is intended to enable police officers to keep an attacker at a distance - without the risk of fatal injury as with a firearm. The police officer shoots arrows connected to a wire from a distance of two to five meters. This is painful for the victim. The dart penetrates one centimeter deep into the skin and emits an electrical impulse. The current affects the nerves and muscles, causing incapacitation for a few seconds.
However, the benefits of Buschmann's proposal are controversial, especially in relation to the violence surrounding the turn of the year. The Federal Chairman of the Police Union (GdP), Jochen Kopelke, generally welcomes the widespread equipping of police forces with Tasers. "However, on New Year's Eve and when dealing with crowds of people, this tool can hardly be used legally and is hardly usable in practice," he told the "Tagesspiegel" newspaper.
Police officers are often shot at from a distance from crowds of people during the New Year. In such situations, access teams, irritant sprayers or video technology would be more helpful. The head of the GdP also spoke out in favor of more public prosecutors and judges on the ground to speed up proceedings.
Sources: DPA /"Tagesspiegel"
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- Despite the looming fear of street battles during New Year's Eve in Berlin, the Federal Minister of Justice, Marco Buschmann, has suggested the use of stun guns (Tasers) for police officers nationwide to protect emergency services.
- The police union in Germany, led by Federal Chairman Jochen Kopelke, while supportive of police officers being equipped with Tasers, has raised concerns about their practicality and legality during riots, such as those that often occur during New Year's Eve, and suggested alternative measures like access teams, irritant sprayers, and video technology.
- Top news: In response to the New Year's Eve/New Year's Day 2022/2023 riots, Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann, stated that there is no need to tighten existing laws regarding police protection, but he advocates for better equipment, including Tasers, to effectively protect emergency services. (Germany, Marco Buschmann, Police, Top news)
Source: www.stern.de
