A change of policy which will allow police officers with Colour Vision Deficiency to apply for Taser training will enable them to protect themselves, their colleagues and the public.
That’s the view of Dyfed Powys Police Federation secretary Roger Webb.
Roger has welcomed the move by the College of Policing which is establishing a new training and assessment process meaning officers with CVD - who were previously excluded from Taser training - will now be assessed using a Taser fixed sight.
It follows successful lobbying by the Federation which challenged the college over its original CVD Taser training standards on the grounds they were unfair and discriminatory. Fed reps argued it was putting officers at risk of being assaulted on duty.
Roger said: “This is a welcome step forward for officers with CVD and will only serve to protect more officers and members of the public.
“Taser is an important piece of a police officer’s kit and can be an effective way of dealing with dangerous situations. For our colleagues with CVD to face the same dangers as their colleagues, but not have the same training and equipment, was clearly unfair.
“We’re pleased to see it addressed and a positive outcome. It’s important that as many officers as possible who want to use Taser are given the training, equipment and support they need to do their job,” Roger added.
Steve Hartshorn, firearms and Taser lead for the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), said: “The Federation has been involved in actively challenging the College of Policing’s previous position. This was not fair, valid or reliable and we have been seeking a positive resolution.
“The new training and assessment process will allow officers with CVD to apply for Taser training and to be deployed operationally if successful.
“The college’s revised process will be reviewed over time to ensure it remains current and fit for purpose. PFEW - via its network of local Federation reps - will be involved in that process.”
CVD affects one in 12 men and one in 200 women.