Frontline police personnel will soon be equipped with conducted energy devices, slated for deployment starting late this year, following the signing of a significant supply contract.
These novel devices, set to be distributed to over 10,300 police officers and protective services officers within a three-year span, possess the ability to activate an officer’s body-worn camera upon deployment.
This ensures an impartial record of the unfolding events.
Notably, the recorded footage will encompass the 30 seconds preceding the device’s activation.
Victoria Police has formalized an agreement with Axon, a US-based supplier, for the provision of their advanced Taser 7 model.
This upgraded version boasts enhanced technology, accuracy, and safety features.
The rollout initiative is slated to commence in late November.
The initial recipients of these new Tasers will include the Special Operations Group, the Critical Incident Response Team, and police stationed at 36 regional facilities, replacing the units issued up to five years ago.
Simultaneously, general duties police stationed at Dandenong and Springvale stations will become the first in metropolitan Melbourne to receive these Tasers.
The broader distribution to the remaining police personnel and all protective services officers is scheduled to commence in April of the subsequent year, continuing through September 2026.
Victoria Police will establish dedicated training venues to educate officers on the proper handling of Tasers and to enhance the skills of those already familiar with their usage.
These training sessions will encompass Victoria Police’s stringent protocols for determining appropriate Taser usage, along with the procedures that must be adhered to upon deployment or discharge.
Tasers offer law enforcement an additional tool to manage high-risk, volatile situations, and the mere act of drawing one often proves sufficient to bring such incidents to a peaceful resolution.
Both the Special Operations Group (since 2004) and the Critical Incident Response Team (since 2005) have utilized conducted energy devices.
Subsequently, frontline police stationed at numerous regional facilities began incorporating them following a trial initiated in 2010.
The rollout will also encompass Highway Patrol and transit police, and approximately 320 metropolitan and regional police stations will be outfitted to accommodate the storage of these devices.
Notably, the selected Taser model aligns with those used by the Australian Federal Police and NSW Police.
Chief Commissioner Shane Patton has articulated his perspective on this development, highlighting its significance in providing law enforcement personnel with an additional option when facing hazardous and uncertain circumstances.
He emphasized the role of Tasers in deescalating situations, often just by their display, and the added assurance of an independent record due to the integration with body-worn cameras.
