EXCLUSIVE: police taser discharge in South Yorkshire almost DOUBLES since 2015
They were fired 86 times last year
We can exclusively reveal the number of times police have fired tasers in South Yorkshire has almost doubled in just five years.
The stun guns were set off 86 times in our county last year according to stats we've got hold of under the Freedom of Information Act.
That number has risen steadily from 47 in 2015.
Tasers were used 455 times in South Yorkshire in 2019 - that number includes when they were drawn, aimed and fired.
Chief Inspector Lee Doswell's in charge of tasers for South Yorkshire Police - he says police are needing to protect themselves more and more:
"Quite often the use of taser occurs in the early hours of the morning - between midnight and 4am - during violent incidents in the street, often alcohol and drugs play a factor in this.
"More and more we're seeing these kind of incidents with a propensity of violence towards officers and the use of taser being a means of controlling these situations.
"It seems to be a national trend. Officers are facing increased levels of violence and only recently we've seen the unfortunate terrorist incidents across the country and the increasing national trend around knife crime. It is really important that our officers have the means necessary to protect both themselves and the public in the community that they serve."
It comes as police here have been given more than £100,000 by ministers to buy more tasers as part of a boost in funding for forces across the country.
It'll pay for 156 extra for use in South Yorkshire.
Lee says they're effective in dealing with violence:
"The increase in taser usage has been in trend with a reduction in officer assaults and injuries sustained during violent arrests and struggles. The presence of taser alone can have a significant impact on the reduction of offenders' propensity to use violence against officers.
"Officers volunteer to carry taser. It's a process of application by an officer willing and wising to carry taser. They then undergo a rigorous training procedure with reaccreditation spells ongoing. It's a very robust process around that but I do feel that it gives those officers wishing to carry taser the condifence to better perform their jobs."