Sussex Police to roll out 50,000 volt Tasers to 160 officers

Around 160 rank and file officers from response teams across the county will undertake a four-day training course to use the non-lethal electroshock weapon, which will be rolled out across the force from Monday (March 4).

Sussex Police has said the decision will increase its effectiveness and reduce the workload of its armed response officers.

However, critics have said the move could prove harmful to those with mental health issues. Vicki Nash, head of policy and campaigns at mental health charity Mind, said: “Tasers are extreme and controversial weapons that we believe should only be used as a last resort by police. Tasers can cause extreme distress, so to use them on people who are experiencing a mental health crisis, and already displaying signs of distress, can make things even more traumatic.”

Police Chief Superintendent Paul Morrison said Tasers would act as a “deterrent to the escalation of violence” and would be used as a last resort, when other methods failed.