Marie Dyhrberg seemed a lone voice who spoke out against the Taser and its introduction into New Zealand police on a trail basis. And then suddenly a condemnation of it as a device of torture came from the United Nations. Torture has been one of the uses of Tasers as no doubt most have een portrayed in the media.
"Introducing potentially lethal weapons into policing is a matter that must be fully justified before it is done - both to the public, and to Parliament which bears the ultimate responsibility for the welfare and safety of all New Zealanders", Dyhrberg said. "Following an independent inquiry, any subsequent decision must be made at Ministerial level, with every effort made to ensure a meaningful democratic process."
It is certainly not in the interests of New Zealanders that one individual take on this decision. A civil servant should not make political decisions.
Some of the key points of the CATT report include:
- the Taser is likely to be misused or used in inappropriate situations
- a decision by the Police Commissioner to introduce the Taser will itself be flawed, and will not enjoy widespread legitimacy
- more than 290 deaths have been linked to the Taser in the United States since 2001
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