Home Entertainment Police officers could be left ‘defenceless’ because monopoly supplier of Tasers is...

Police officers could be left ‘defenceless’ because monopoly supplier of Tasers is aggressively driving up prices, police chiefs fear

75
0


Police forces could be left defenceless because the monopoly supplier of Tasers is driving prices up so aggressively, policing leaders have warned.

US-based tech giant Axon, which has the only Home Office licence to supply Tasers, has the UK ‘over a barrel’ with its stranglehold over the market, a police and crime commissioner said.

And its latest model has proved so unreliable in training that Thames Valley Police had to scrap it and negotiate a new deal for older devices, the Mail can reveal. 

As a crisis looms, chief constables are discussing cheaper alternatives such as a ‘bolawrap’, a device that discharges a Kevlar tether which wraps up a suspect’s limbs at a range of up to 25ft.

A former minister said the Home Office had ‘failed completely’ in its obligation to protect taxpayers from corporate intimidation. 

Thames Valley PCC Matthew Barber (pictured) said this meant forces had no choice but to move on to the newer models

Thames Valley PCC Matthew Barber (pictured) said this meant forces had no choice but to move on to the newer models

Police forces could be left defenceless because the monopoly supplier of Tasers is driving prices up so aggressively, policing leaders have warned

Police forces could be left defenceless because the monopoly supplier of Tasers is driving prices up so aggressively, policing leaders have warned

The concerns come following calls for all frontline officers to be armed with Tasers after two first responders equipped with only CS spray were severely injured during a sword attack in Hainault in April.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan recently agreed a deal with Axon that will increase the number of Scotland Yard officers who carry Tasers from 7,500 to 10,000 by 2030.

Axon routinely releases new models that use different cartridges, which it initially offers at discount rates while drastically increasing prices for older equipment, which is eventually withdrawn from the market.

Thames Valley PCC Matthew Barber said this meant forces had no choice but to move on to the newer models even when their existing ones worked fine and pay bloated prices for the compatible cartridges. 

The cost of continuing to equip officers with the same X2 model Thames Valley had used for years increased by £1,200 per Taser in just one year, while the newer T7 was £900 cheaper per plan.

The force began training officers with the T7 Tasers but they were so unreliable, upgrade plans had to be abandoned.

‘Where they have us over a barrel is that there is nothing wrong with the old Tasers but they are only under warranty for five years,’ Mr Barber said. 

‘If you bought something like a toaster then the warranty doesn’t matter much – you use it until it dies – but the same isn’t true for a Taser, because it is potentially very dangerous if it malfunctions.’

Mr Barber said if the company’s pricing model continued with no rivals to keep costs competitive, Tasers would soon become unaffordable for smaller police forces.

‘The Home Office needs to build the marketplace for Taser,’ he added. 

‘They should make it clear that they are looking to license other suppliers, otherwise Axon will be able to continue to do whatever it likes.’

Ex-Home Office minister David Mellor said: ‘It seems we are being ripped off by our friends and allies. 

London Mayor Sadiq Khan recently agreed a deal with Axon that will increase the number of Scotland Yard officers who carry Tasers from 7,500 to 10,000 by 2030

London Mayor Sadiq Khan recently agreed a deal with Axon that will increase the number of Scotland Yard officers who carry Tasers from 7,500 to 10,000 by 2030

The concerns come following calls for all frontline officers to be armed with Tasers after two first responders equipped with only CS spray were severely injured during a sword attack in Hainault in April (pictured)

The concerns come following calls for all frontline officers to be armed with Tasers after two first responders equipped with only CS spray were severely injured during a sword attack in Hainault in April (pictured)

Footage from a doorbell camera of police officers tasering a sword-wielding man in Hainault, north east London

Footage from a doorbell camera of police officers tasering a sword-wielding man in Hainault, north east London 

The failure to protect the taxpayer against the deprivations of a monopoly supplier is yet another reason why we need to be very sceptical about how the Home Office is being managed.’

Axon said: ‘Our pricing strategy balances affordability with the need for continuous innovation and we work closely with agencies to ensure we meet their budgetary needs.’

The Home Office said it sent out a call to market to suppliers in the past 12 months but Axon was the only company to respond.



Source link

Previous articleKeir Starmer doesn’t know what a woman is – but the Tories do, writes Health Secretary VICTORIA ATKINS
Next articleANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS: The opening credits of Keeping Up Appearances feature a Daily Mail book. What is it?

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here