South and East Belfast Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Maskey welcomes more opposition to TASERS

Published: 4 October, 2007

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Policing and Justice and Policing Board member Alex Maskey MLA has welcomed today's public declaration from the Human Rights Commission opposing PSNI plans to begin using controversial TASER guns.

The South Belfast MLA said:

"The PSNI are proposing to begin a TASER pilot scheme despite the fact that they have not yet completed an equality impact assessment as they are legally obliged to do.

"I welcome the fact that the Human Rights Commission have today publicly stated their opposition to these plans and I will be calling on the Chief Constable to take heed of those concerns.

"As well as the Human Rights Commission, a number of other respected organisations have objected to the use of TASERS. These groups include the Equality Commission, the Children's Commission, the Children's Law Society, Relatives for Justice and British Irish Rights Watch. Crucially, the Policing Board's own human rights advisers have also opposed the adoption of TASERs.

"Given such widespread concern about these weapons - which have been linked to a number of deaths in other jurisdictions - I am calling on the Chief Constable to scrap these proposals."