Taser hubs ‘too far’ for rural cops

The location of Taser storage hubs has been branded a barrier to some officers carrying the weapons

By Gemma Fraser
Head of Content

Taser-trained cops in some rural areas are opting not to carry the weapons due to the distance they have to travel to collect them, 1919 can reveal.

hubs, which means some officers choose not to.

There are 142 of these hubs to cover the whole of Scotland, housing a total of 504 devices.

As we revealed in April, Chief Constable Jo Farrell confirmed the number of officers trained in the use of the device – which discharges electrical volts – has now quadrupled from 500 to 2,000.

However, the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) argues that increasing the numbers of STOs in itself is not enough if logistics are preventing officers from actually carrying them.

The issue is particularly acute in more rural locations, such as A division, which covers the north-east of the country.

Police Scotland said there are 12 hubs in the north-east and 24 in the Highland and Islands division, with the number of hubs spread across the latter higher than any other division in Scotland.

One A division officer told 1919: “There are two hubs in my area with Taser. The closest one is 30 minutes travel [from my station] so it would be two hours travel in total to collect and drop off.

“I know of a good few STOs who don’t carry due to logistics. Three on my team don’t as it’s just too far to go to get one.”

David Kennedy, general secretary of the SPF, warned that proposed police station closures across the country could make the situation worse – though Police Scotland said hubs would be moved to another suitable location in the same division if a station was to close.

“Taser isn’t personal issue [equipment], so officers have to go and draw the unit from a hub,” he said.

“If they are trained, they should be carrying this essential piece of protective equipment, but we are told that distances involved, the lack of overtime at the beginning and end of a shift to uplift or dock the Taser, and the relentless demand on police officer time from the moment they start, means that realistically, the opportunity to physically collect this equipment does not exist.

“The reality is that the current cadre of STOs are not fully utilising this equipment, not because they don’t want to, but operational requirements mean they can’t.”

“I know of a good few STOs who don’t carry due to logistics. Three on my team don’t as it’s just too far to go to get one”

Officer with A division

The SPF believes the only way to ensure officers have access to Taser when they need it is to equip every frontline officer with the device as standard.

Kennedy said: “Situations with no immediate threat can change instantly, so you can’t wait 10 or 15 minutes for a Taser to turn up.

“Police officers in Scotland should be given the opportunity to best protect themselves and the communities they serve.

“The personal issue of Taser is an important step in the journey, especially considering the recently published material about police officer assaults, and associated absence rising by 36 per cent.”

The number of Taser-trained officers deployed to incidents rose from 395 since their introduction six years ago to 3,017 in 2023/24.

Officers have deployed them at 9,789 incidents in Scotland and fired them 317 times since 2018, Freedom of Information data reveals.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Keeping the public, our officers and staff safe is a priority.

“Police officers carry Taser as one of their options to protect people from violence.

“Following a rise in officer assaults, we made a commitment to increase the number of Specially Trained Officers from 500 to 2,000, which was completed in March 2024.

“Tasers must be stored safely and securely on police premises.

“There are currently 142 Taser hubs within police stations across the country, with more planned for 2024/25.

“North-east division had a further six hubs installed in 2023/24, more than any other division that year.

“The Chief Constable has previously said she would consider increasing the number of officers who carry Taser in future, should funding allow and should officers be willing to do so.”