By Tom Martin
Most Scots support issuing all police officers with a Taser, a new poll has revealed.
Research for 1919 found that nearly 60 per cent of people agree with a wider rollout and training.
The survey comes amid calls from the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) for greater access to Tasers, with the organisation warning that officers are increasingly facing violent and unpredictable incidents.
In London, a suspect was Tasered and arrested by officers last month following a knife attack on two Jewish men in Golders Green.
Police Scotland’s Chief Constable Jo Farrell has also said she wants to see more officers equipped with the devices, depending on the money available to the force.
The new independent poll was carried out by Survation, and found that 28 per cent of Scots ‘strongly agree’ that all police officers in Scotland should be supplied with a Taser and trained in how to use it. A further 31 per cent agreed.
Only seven per cent said they ‘strongly disagreed’, and 10 per cent disagreed.
About 2,000 Scottish police officers are currently trained in the use of Tasers following an earlier increase in numbers in response to rising attacks on officers.
David Kennedy, general secretary of the SPF, said: “It shows the public understand the pressures and the violence police officers are facing.”
The SPF made the call for a wider rollout in its manifesto ahead of the Holyrood election, but it was left disappointed by a “lukewarm response” from the political parties during a hustings in February.
“We need to make sure police officers have the proper equipment to defend themselves and the communities in Scotland”
Kennedy said the poll should send a clear message to all politicians, adding that the new Scottish Government should provide the force with the funding and support required to expand availability among operational officers.
“Any officer who is operational should have access to one on the street so they can defend themselves and members of the public,” he said.
He added that officers are dealing with people carrying knives and machetes, as well as incidents where they do not know what weapons suspects may have.
Latest figures show there were 7,159 assaults against officers in 2024/25, up 425 on the previous year, a 6.3 per cent rise.
Kennedy said: “Having a Taser makes them safer and allows them to react when required. It would also hopefully reduce the number of assaults on police officers.
“There’s often no backup for officers when they are there. The attitude towards policing appears to have changed. Offenders are more willing to attack police officers.
“That’s not acceptable. We need to make sure police officers have the proper equipment to defend themselves and the communities in Scotland.”
Speaking in 2024, Farrell said Police Scotland had “a disproportionately low number of officers” equipped with a Taser and that she wanted to see “that increasing in time”, but that any expansion would ultimately be limited by financial considerations.
Chief Superintendent Stevie Dolan, of Police Scotland’s Operational Support Division, said: “Police Scotland has a duty to protect life and ensure the safety of police officers and the public and the use of Taser gives officers an additional tactical option.”
He added: “We acknowledge the survey results and the views of the public. Our Chief Constable has been clear in our ambitions for the future of policing that a further rollout should be considered to strengthen the front line and deliver safer communities.”
He said the decision to use Taser is based on the circumstances of each incident and the threat and risk faced by officers or the public.
“Tasers protect the public and emergency service workers from violent individuals and the mere presence of the device is often enough to de-escalate situations,” he added.
“Taser will only be used when it’s proportionate, necessary and justified, and we have a robust training programme to ensure those specially trained officers provided with Taser know how to use it safely and in the correct circumstances.”
Survation polled 2,034 adults in Scotland between April 2 and 13.
All police officers in Scotland should be supplied with a Taser and trained in how to use it
