Police have a new weapon in the fight against gang warfare.

Officers armed with Tasers will patrol the streets from this week.

Initially firearms officers will use them to restrain violent offenders, but one in three officers will eventually be armed with the electronic control device.

A Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses an electrical current to immobilise muscle movement.

Manufactured by Taser International, it is used by armed forces and law enforcement agencies to subdue dangerous subjects before they inflict harm on others.

Bermuda Police Service officers are to receive thorough training in the use of the weapon, which is said to have less risk of injury than the ASP (Police baton) or Captor spray (pepper spray).

Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva and Public Safety Minister David Burch were keen to stress the safety aspects of the device yesterday. They said it also has a built-in camera to ensure accountability each time it is used.

Senator Burch said: These devices have been subjected to independent testing in the United Kingdom and have been found to have a very low risk of causing serious or life-threatening injury.

He said Tasers have been issued to armed police officers in the UK since 2004 and the UKCOT (United Kingdom Caribbean Overseas Territories) Firearms Working Group also supported the issuing of Tasers.

In Bermuda, officers will deploy the Taser in specific life-threatening incidents. This will include situations where an armed suspect is at risk of being shot by officers.

This will enable the Bermuda Police Service to more effectively deal with any situations where officers are dealing with threatening behaviour, to the safety of officers and others, said Sen. Burch.

However, he added: We will continually review our options in concert with the Bermuda Police Service leadership and Government House, and adjust our actions accordingly.

Mr. DeSilva said research in the US had shown there were significant reductions in the number of injuries in the use of a Taser compared to other Police weapons.

On average there are two serious injuries in every 1,000 Taser deployments, compared to 500 in every 1,000 firearms discharges and 780 serious injuries in every 1,000 baton strikes.

The Bermuda Police Service is satisfied the Taser is safe. I believe we are introducing it at the appropriate time and it is proportionate to the risks that are on the street, said the Commissioner.

It puts another tool in the Police officer’s belt and gives him or her another option before the use of a firearm. It will make the use of Police firearms a last resort.

I believe it could potentially save the life of a person who might otherwise force an armed confrontation with an officer.

Mr. DeSilva said he did not believe Bermudians would oppose the introduction of the Taser, despite its controversial reputation.

Amnesty International has attributed 50 deaths in the US to the use of Tasers from 2001-2008.

Asked whether Bermudians would be nervous about seeing it on the streets, the Commissioner said: Not in the current climate.

There have been deaths linked to the Taser but it’s not the (electric) current that’s caused the death but other injuries the person has sustained, he said.It stops muscle movement, not your heart.

The Taser roll-out will cost the Bermuda Police Service $150,000, including training. The funding however was pre-allocated in the 2009-10 Budget.

Officers will receive training from two Bermuda firearms officers who attended a course at Taser International in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Certification training will include decision-based scenarios, similar to firearms training. Mr. DeSilva said a third of officers — one in three on patrol each day, will carry the device.

No legislative changes are required as the Taser is classed as a firearm under the Firearms Act.

Mr. DeSilva explained: Police officers are exempt from this Act, with the approval of the Governor.