Cameras attached to Tasers would remove any doubt

Queensland Police Union Acting General President, Ian Leavers has called for cameras to be fitted to Tasers throughout Queensland following conflicting evidence after a man tragically died in North Queensland last week. 

“Cameras are available as a standard attachment to Tasers, however the Tasers issued to Queensland Police do not currently have that facility. I believe that for the peace of mind of all concerned that it is imperative that we have the best available evidence when allegations of wrongdoing or excessive force are made.

The public rightly expect police to be accountable and we have no problem with that.

The best possible accountability system available when deploying Tasers is the camera feature.

Investigators or Coroners would then have actual footage of the event to refer to when reviewing the actions of police officers.

I attended Ayr last week and spoke with the officers involved and I remain confident that they have been frank and honest during the investigation. The reported results of the guns data are baffling, concerning and I believe are at odds with a number of other crucial pieces of evidence.

It should be remembered that there are a number of other crucial testing results that will shed more light on the likely cause of death that are still outstanding and that trial by media, rarely
produces an accurate outcome.

The Coroner will ultimately determine the cause of death in this tragic case and that is the appropriate course of action. Quite frankly, the sooner the better for all concerned, however in the mean time there is something that can be done to ensure that there is no doubt about the circumstances involving Taser use.

I call upon Premier Anna Bligh to immediately release funds to enable the Queensland Police Service to purchase the camera attachment for all Tasers currently in use.

Queensland Police have nothing to hide. Just give us the equipment to enable a more transparent, efficient and accurate investigation process when Tasers are involved,” Mr Leavers said.