Manchester police shootings: Use more stun guns, says chief constable

Published on 23/09/2012 00:00

A POLICE chief constable says more officers should be given Tasers in the wake of the murders of two ­policewomen, killed in a gun and grenade attack in Greater Manchester.

Wiltshire Chief Constable Patrick Geenty said he was looking into the possibility of increasing the number of stun guns available to officers in his force, despite many nationwide saying they opposed the idea.

Earlier this week, Sir Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, ruled out arming officers after the killing of PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone.

He said handing weapons to Britain’s traditionally unarmed frontline police force “[wouldn’t] necessarily solve the problem”.

“I can’t describe this particular case in detail but the reality is, the clear view of the British police service from top to bottom is we don’t want to be armed,” he said.

Chief Constable Geenty said: “Training more officers to use Tasers would do more to protect them.

“Some of our rural officers can be isolated and they can feel vulnerable. At the moment out of each shift of 15 officers, only two of them are trained to use Tasers.

“I am looking to see whether we can increase that.”

Greater Manchester Police said on Friday that a 15-year-old boy has been arrested at a school over the murders of constables Hughes, 23, and Bone, 32, as well as father and son David and Mark Short.

He was later released on bail pending further inquiries.

Dale Cregan, who is
accused of the four murders and four attempted murders, will appear at Manchester Crown Court
tomorrow.