Researchers at Exeter University have called for a greater comparative analysis of the impact of tasers used in law enforcement. The next generation of the electric-shock weapon used by police forces in England and Wales is currently under review. The research suggests that in order to evaluate the impact of tasers, better data collection on other force, such as batons and irritant spray, used by the police would assist in providing a clearer understanding of the impact on officer safety and injury rates of civilians. This report comes less than a month after the Home Secretary Theresa May called for improved data reporting on use of force by the police. Lead author Abi Dymond, PhD researcher in Security Conflict and Justice at the Universities of Exeter and Bristol, who is working alongside the Association of Chief Police Officers and various UK police forces on the research, said: "Taser clearly has a valuable role to play in policing - and precisely how valuable is a key question. "While much information is currently being captured on taser use itself, limited information was collected on police use of force, officer and civilian injuries prior to its introduction, which makes it difficult to assess the impact it has had. "While some steps are already being taken in this direction, there is an urgent need for better data collection on police use of other force such as batons and irritant spray in England and Wales to allow us to put the benefits and risks of taser into context." Professor Brian Rappert, a social scientist at the University of Exeter and co-author of the report, said: "We hope the lessons identified in this article will help foster enhanced policies and practices regarding police use of force in the UK and beyond."
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