Will more police in Germany be equipped with Tasers?
Germany's Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), has spoken up in favour of equipping federal police with Tasers, citing an increased risk of physical violence to police officers in Germany.
His comments have been welcomed by police union representatives who advocate for Tasers as a necessary protection for police officers. But the use of Tasers in law-enforcement is controversial and in some cases it has been lethal.
Will police officers be issued with Tasers immediately?
In an interview with
t-online
, Minister Dobrindt announced that a legal framework would be put in place this year, which would make it possible for federal police to carry Tasers. He also said that the federal government would provide the funding.
'We will do everything we can to ensure that our federal police officers can respond appropriately in any situation in the future,' he said.
According to reporting by
Netzpolitik.org
, many police officers in Germany already carry Tasers.
Originally reserved for the exclusive use of special police units (SEKs) and customs officials, the devices have been introduced for patrol duty in Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, Bavaria, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen, and Saarland in recent years.
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Since 2023, pilot projects have also been underway in Berlin, Hamburg, Hesse, and with the federal police.
Do German police need more protection?
Minister Dobrindt's comments come against the backdrop of an increase in attacks on police officers, especially with knives.
According to
a report
published by the BKA (Germany's Federal Criminal Police,) a total of 46,218 violent crimes against police officers were recorded in 2023 – an increase of 8 percent on the previous year and the sharpest recorded rise since 2017.
A total of 105,708 police officers were threatened or attacked in Germany in 2023.
"We must better protect our police officers," Dobrindt said according to media reports. "The Taser closes a dangerous gap between batons and service weapons,"
Who supports the use of Tasers?
Representatives of the police have spoken out in favour of the plan. Andreas Roßkopf, chairman of the Germany's largest police union (
Gewerkschaft Polizei
) told the Rheinische Post that Tasers have a de-escalating effect.
'The tests show that even the threat of using them often calms heated situations,' Roßkopf said.
Marcus Haider, a district chairman for another major German police union (
Deutsche Polizeigewerkschaft)
described the advantages of Tasers over batons or firearms in
a recent article
. He noted that batons can only be used at a very close range, which puts officers at risk of injury. On the other hand, the use of firearms can often have lethal consequences.
Police statistics show that Tasers are often fired at people suffering from mental health problems. According to the BKA report, roughly 20 percent of people shot by the police with Tasers in Germany in 2023 were subsequently transported to psychiatric institutions.
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What are the problems with Taser use?
The interior minister's comments have drawn criticism from the Social Democrats (SPD), who are currently in the federal coalition with Dobrindt's CDU party.
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Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) told the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
that arming the police further was not necessarily the best solution to tackling social problems. Members of the Left party have also raised concerns.
'This is not a measure to de-escalate the situation, but another step toward arming the police,' said Clara Bünger of the Left party.
She also highlighted their potential risks adding, 'If the manufacturer's test subjects have to sign liability waivers due to possible fatal consequences, then we should ask ourselves whether such a device really belongs in the hands of police forces.'
Despite police unions' advocacy of Tasers as a less-lethal alterative to firearms, their use has led to fatalities in Germany and elsewhere. According to the human rights organization Amnesty International, there have been at least ten deaths in Germany since 2021 in connection with the use of Tasers.
Tasers fire two wire-connected darts from a short distance. Designed to deliver a strong electric pulse when they hit the skin, causing complete paralysis of the muscles for a few seconds, their use can have serious health consequences if used against people with heart diseases or cardiovascular problems.
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