A SECOND police force in the region is considering its policy in relation to the number of front line officers authorised to carry Tasers.

Following the news that Durham Police Chief Constable Jo Farrell has offered all her force’s 1,500 officers an updated model of the weapon over the next 12 months, North Yorkshire Police is reviewing its own policy.

Currently 873 full-time uniformed front line police officers employed by the force are eligible to carry a Taser due to their role out of an overall total of 1,300. As of now, the target figure for Taser-trained officers is 246. North Yorkshire Police has 238 trained, with courses planned this year which will see achievement of that agreed figure by the end of next January 2020.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: “The number of Taser trained officers in the force is determined by a number of factors such as the level of threat and risk therefore, training plans and decisions are dynamic and regularly reviewed to ensure the force has the right level of resources in the right places.

“We are currently in the process of considering the number of Taser trained officers in the force which will involve consultation with key stakeholders including the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, our staff, staff associations, and the public we serve.”

Writing on Facebook, the Police Federation’s Deputy Secretary for North Yorkshire, Brad Jackson said: “We are currently in talks with our chief officer team regarding an uplift in the number of frontline officers trained in the use of Taser.

“Taser has proven to be a valuable piece of equipment for officers faced with difficult and violent situations. It has been well reported in the media when the use of Taser has saved officers from serious injuries or worse.

“In the current climate of thinly-stretched resources many officers find themselves in situations where assistance isn’t instantly available. Some are regularly single crewed.

“The option of introducing a Taser should not be seen as a luxury but a necessity.”

The devise is a non-lethal self-defence weapon which can shoot two tethered needle-like electric probes.