 THEY have been a controversial addition to the armoury of the British police force but the people of Merseyside will have to get used to the sight of the electronic stun gun. Tasers have been operating on Merseyside for more than six months without alarm. Up to this point, though, the 50,000-volt weapons, which cause targets to lose muscle control and either freeze on the spot or collapse to the ground, have been available only to armed response units. But they comprise just a small proportion of the force and Chief Constable Bernard Hogan-Howe is now hoping for distribution to other officers, having become convinced of the worth of the Tasers. Mr Hogan-Howe said: "I think at the very least we need to spread the use of Tasers more widely than they are at the moment. "To have them available to all patrolling officers would be a very good option, and at the moment would appear to be a very safe option. "Though we have a significant number of firearms officers to respond to incidents, it would be more effective to have Tasers more widely available." The chief constable's view has been reinforced by the first few successful months of Taser use on Merseyside. While the weapon has not yet been fired in anger, on a number of occasions the very presence of the red sight dot on a violent offender has been enough to make him back down. Mr Hogan-Howe said: "I think what that shows is good evidence of the deterrent effect of Tasers and also the fact that officers have not been using them without due cause." The Taser has most recently hit the headlines when West Midlands police used it to capture a suspect following the aborted suicide bombings on London. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair was critical of the Taser's deployment in that instance as the electric charge of the Taser could have set off any explosives being carried by a bomber. But the question of a more widespread roll-out on Merseyside is likely to come down to the rather more mundane issue of finance. Budgets are already heavily stretched and each Taser costs in the region of £350. Mr Hogan-Howe said: "I think we'll have to talk to the Police Authority about it but, historically, they have been very good at providing us with the right equipment to do the job. "We may have to implement it a bit slower, perhaps in a staggered way. "That would allow the public to become more comfortable with Tasers while also giving us the time to train our officers in their use. "We may take a decision in principle to make them more widely available, leading eventually to every patrolling officer having one available." | 
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