POLICE are looking at introducing tasers for their officers in light of the recent attacks on lawmen and women.
Police Commissioner Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho said his officers had signed up to serve the people of Fiji and not to be “punching bags for people”.
However, he said, the introduction of tasers was being studied meticulously to ensure their use would not result in the loss of life for any person.
In an interview with this newspaper yesterday, Brig-Gen Qiliho said the use of tasers — conducted electrical weapons which fired two small barbed darts — was only being considered as an option at the moment.
“We are talking with the Australian Federal Police, we have done studies. We have been looking at the options of tasers because the use of batons is brutal,” he said.
“Those are options we are looking at, we have to go through the meticulous studies first.
“We do not want to use it and result in the loss of life of people because of the use of tasers so we are looking at that.”
The police chief said he had not encouraged the use of batons by his officers unless it was for self-defence.
“The pepper spray is a right way to deal with things and again we have to be professional in our use of force.
“Morale is high, we will continue to do our work, that is part and parcel of the job, the risks we have to go through.
“But they did not sign up for this — to be punching bags for people.”
