I have no problem with the police carrying tasers, batons, pepper spray, firearms, etc...as long as I can legally do the same as a non-police, law abiding citizen.
I could get all these things if I risked breaking the law, I shouldn't be left without them just because I chose to obey it.

W L, Chelmsford,

Police in this country are way behind the rest of the world when it comes to self-protection.

They keep a tight lid on crime and disorder in this country with no more than a length of metal, a can of spray, and a lot of courage. We should all respect the job they do, they do it superbly.

Dave, Birmingham,

A batton is not 100% effective controlling mr nasty who is high on drugs and doesnt feel any pain, im striking my baton but hes still strangling you. i spray him with parvo he just closes his eyes, it hurts but he doesnt care. i tazer him THERES NOTHING HE CAN DO HE FREEZES AND CANT MOVE you're safe

Ned Flanders, Springfield, uk

Trouble is ... as they are easily purchased on the Internet, now many "undesireables" will be carrying them as well - they'll become a standard tool for holdups. No lethal threat, not such a serious rap.
<shakes head>

Ian, Berwick, UK

In my mind a taser is safer than a police baton or pava spray when dealing with offenders with weapons such as swords, knifes, bats etc. studies show the presence of taser is enough to stop offenders without it being fired. PC Jon Henry may still be alive had he had a taser.

Bill Betts, Ashford, Kent

smith and weson will soon be knocking on the door of the home office to be the first for the next phase towards a fully cordite armed police force.

edward walpole-brown 111, wall,nj, usa

Surely if jacqui smith and the government REALLY wants to fight violent crime and get rid of the serious violent offenders and murderers - surely she should be DISARMING the murderous police, not giving them more lethal weapons to use against innocent people/tube travellers.

SteveJ, Romford, Essex

This country wasn't so pathetically PC and actually dealt with it's issues no non-sense style, instead of letting these ignorant liberals and human rights activists influence decent peoples thoughts with their no-brain ideologies then bad people would not even exist to the extent they do today.

Johan, London,

as a frontline british offier i thins this is a great idea as the mere production of the tazer will cause most incidence to come to a peaceful end.

Essexpc, essex, uk

I read with astonishment the lack of understanding, respect & negativity given to the UK Police.
1 Tazer is lower level of force than asp, arnold baton or CS Spray. (they all have far greater risk of inury than tazer)
2 officers r subjected to CS spray
3 recon u can do better, try it i dare u!

Paul, Grimsby,

Oh joy, new chrismas toys for our police officers!

Tamara James, Barry, Vale Of Glamorgan

Police generally are far more willing to "tase" people than shoot them. Tasering members of the public already incapacitated by alcoholic beverage consumption is going to lead to a lot more "deaths in police custody". You ready for that Britisher pals?

Andrew Milner, Karuizawa, Japan

I can just see it now!

Officer: Pick up that litter now!
Innocent person: I did not drop that litter officer.
Officer: DO NOT DISOBEY MY AUTHORITY!!
Innocent person: But....
Officer: ZAP (taser unleased)
Innocent person: Shaking on the floor as 50,000v as he is being tortured (tasered)

Glenn Greenslade, Northampton,

Anyone want to go up against an armed and violent suspect who is high on drugs whilst patiently waiting for an armed response? Be my guest. Personally I would rather have a Tazer available to me. It doesn't stop you attempting to talk the person down and it may mean you can go home to your family.

Mike, Reigate, UK

If you merit a taser being used against you in violent circumstances you'd sustain less injuries than from a piece of solid wood on flesh. Only undesirables reject the idea.

David llama, Staffs,

Once again the public are the enemy of the state, the all powerful all knowledgeable state that believe that the answer to anything is more infringement on civil rights and civil liberties. More guns, Tasers, Polic Officers, Laws, Cameras, Prison Sentences etc etc and still crime continues to rise.

Phil, Belfast, Ireland

The great British public lambast the police about violent crime but then scorn any measure to increase effectiveness/safety.

I'm due to start police training next year and can honestly say that if I was to come face-to-face with a knife wielding maniac I would much rather have a Taser than a baton.

Daniel, Ilford, UK

"In the US I understand that training in the use of a Taser gun requires the trainee to be "tasered" himself. "
Is that the same with batons, asps, firearms and CS Gas?
I think not. Get off your high horse and support the officers who need everything they can get.

Matt, Middlesbrough, UK

I'm a ex Uk officer and now policing in Australia where fireams and Tasers are issued. The fact that I have a Taser has prevented assaults from occurring and disorder taking place. It's about time the police in the UK are given the tools to do their job and stop living in the past.

Terry, Perth, Australia

The old slippery slope... give it 5 years and community police will all be carrying them, along with traffic wardens, bailiffs, off-duty prison officers and every other State employee whose occupation places them in fear for their personal safety.

Douglas Miller, Fulham,

In the US I understand that training in the use of a Taser gun requires the trainee to be "tasered" himself. The Home Secretary should require police who carry them to have experienced it as a subject. That way they will be much circumspect in using them as a weapon of last resort.

Paul, Cambridge, UK

Tasers = risk of death. Double-tapped in the chest by a 9mm = certainty of death. If one of my clients with mental health disorders absconded and ended up in a violent armed confrontation with the police, I would rather they were tasered than shot or batoned. Even rubber bullets carry a greater risk

Alex, York,

Police state ? A society in denial using violence to control the violence? Not sure what country you're in but its not the England that I'm living in. Having never been kidnapped, tortured, unlawfully detained or beaten up by the British Police I think if it helps control violent crime then crack on

Jon, Amersham, UK

Just get bigger Policemen!

Chris, London,

Expanding dependence on taser & other technology, e.g. video surveillance, is an insidious disincentive for police to build effective "people skills", crucial to diffusing most trouble & to earning public trust & cooperation. Police as approachable community members are a safer bet than robocops.

Yetta, Surrey, England

The Canadian public's damaged goodwill & trust in our security authorities due to tasers is REAL. Police argue unconvincingly that tasers don't harm or kill. There's a growing climate of tension & fear - among the innocent & law abiding - at the mere sight of tasers. Tasers alienate everbody

Yetta, Surrey, Canada

would a death from a taser be classed as murder,what about police officers who abuse the use of tasers,were do you draw the line ,we need protection from the police

stephen bartrup, ipswich, u.k

Is a subduing a violent criminal will a taser more or less harmfull than beating a violent criminal with a baton until they are beaten down?

A Williams, Stockton-on-Tees,

Just be aware of possible fatalities. When you zap a person with 50,000 volts....! He just may STAY zapped!!!

What a juicy contract for Tasers!!!! For generations, the British Bobby had a worldwide reputation for unarmed effectiveness. Now he needs Tasers? What has changed??

Garth Rex, Glendale Heights, USA

"...spoken about Tasers... to Spanish and Canadian police officers who use them regularly."
The last word of the sentence says it all.

Barrie Redfern, Zdole, Slovenia

I don't have a problem with tasers

I do have a problem with any "tool" which is misused

Highly trained police officers have shot & killed innocent people

Tasers are not designed to kill so the temptation (as seen in USA) to use them arbitrarily is increased

Strict monitoring is necessary

R Bingham, Lauzun, France

Whether there is alternative Taser? Whether can electric shock weapon be more safe? Probably, it is time to pay attention to new technologies? For example, new S5 MULTI-SHOT REMOTE STUN GUN. It is more safe than Taser.

Oleg, Toglyatti, Russia

What about aggressive drunks who are not "yobs" ?

Nick, gavle, sweden

The best idea yet

victor arram, westcliff,

Tasers have a variety of benifits and they are only intended to incapitate the offender, nothing more they are very useful for police to threaten with as a police officer is more likely to fire a taser than a real gun. I am strongly in favour of tasers.

Ks, Reading,

I can see the Human Rights Lawyers rubbing their hands now....and anyway when you see the size of some of todays police officers, it is no wonder it takes about five officers to subdue a one suspect.

Lloyd, Conwy, UK

How ugly. A society in denial of the causes of social unrest and violence, using more violence to control the violence, and maintain the denial - which will lead to more violence.
Truly sad.

Hugh Croft, Sassenheim,

There's a lot of nonsense spoken about Tasers. I have spoken to Spanish and Canadian police officers who use them regularly and who say the few deaths mistakenly attributed to them were due to other circumstances and not the Taser itself.

Peter, Almería, Spain

Another addition to the police state

dee, ipswich, england

Clearly this Government is now afraid of the social unrest it has unleashed and believes it will have to enforce it's control.

This will severely damage support for Police officers. Did ACPO ask for this? Have Police Authorities been consulted? Is it just another wheeze to make Jacqui look tough?

Chris Jones, London, UK

You should check out youtube's footage of American police using tasers. A most effective torture device. They taser people several times, then scream at them to get up, then taser them again for disobeying orders.

Dave Hands, birmingham, uk,

What a buzz,

Farrukh, Woking,

As a serving cop I have to say I couldn't hit a barn door with a "Spud Gun" let alone anything else with a taser.
Please don't force me to use one. I didn't join the police to fire guns, tasers or anything similar. I do see the need for them, However, please leave them with firearms officers

Tony, Midlothian, Scotland

10,000 Taser guns would not have saved baby P

Bobby Mac, Glasgow, Uk

The police use Tasers in Canada and people keep dying. Just because someone has had a bit too much to drink and is a bit stroppy is no reason to kill them. Police are using them as cattle prods. Never mind the polish immigrant who was killed because he could speak no English. Tasers are a mistake!

D McKay, Edinburgh, UK

Putting such unnatural and inhuman cattle prods into already half dehumanised plods hands will be disastrous to our country's already miserable moral.

Steve Bush, Cirencester, UK