Police equipment and technology
Police weaponry
We advise police forces and the government on the weaponry used by police. We ensuring that officers have the equipment they need to protect themselves and the public.
Our work in this area covers a range of weapons from lethal weapons to less lethal weapons including tasers.
Less lethal weapons
In 2000 we were asked to investigate less lethal weapons, including tasers, for the police service. We looked at how they could be used
- in support of firearms operations
- as a potentially less lethal alternative to the baton round that was in use in 1999
We investigated a range of options from blunt impact weapons using ammunition such as small bean bags and squash balls filled with ball bearings, to lasers and water cannons.
Each weapon was evaluated for performance against an agreed Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) operational requirement. The most promising options went forward to an independent medical assessment.
Types of less lethal weapons
Tasers or Conducting energy devices
This research and evaluation showed that conductive energy devices (commonly known as tasers) were one of the best contenders to satisfy the police's needs and they were therefore fast-tracked to an operational trial in 2003.
The M26 and X26 tasers have been approved for use by the Home Secretary and all police forces use them as a support to firearms operations.
Attenuating Energy Projectiles or the L104A1 Less lethal launcher
The other less lethal weapon routinely used by police to support firearms operations is the L104A1 less lethal launcher.
The launcher fires a round that is known as the attenuating energy projectile. It is called this because when it hits its intended aim-point, the belt buckle area, it gives up all its energy and inflicts a blow to that area of the body. However, if it were to unintentionally hit a hard part of the body like the skull, its soft nose deforms and spreads the release of energy over a longer period of time, reducing the chance of a fracture.
Monitoring the use of less lethal weapons
The uses of both the taser and the L104/AEP less lethal launcher have been closely monitored. It is clear that if they weren't available, on a number of occasions the police would have resorted to using conventional weapons which could possibly have resulted in a loss of life.
None of the occasions when the taser or Less lethal launcher have been used has resulted in death or serious injury.
We will continue to monitor developments in less lethal technologies to assess whether they may meet the ACPO Operational Requirement.
Less Lethal Weapons Database
We have strong international ties, and we work with a number of international organisations and countries to ensure our work is peer-reviewed and shared with other reputable groups.
We have produced a database to record the use, development and research into less lethal weapons internationally. It will provide online access to original source information regarding less lethal weapons and technologies.
The database can be found on the International Law Enforcement website (new window), and you must register as a Law Enforcement or Research Organisation and contribute data to the database to gain access.
