Baden-Württemberg: Taser use for patrol officers is coming!

Baden-Württemberg: Taser use for patrol officers is coming!

Baden-Württemberg is planning to introduce Tasers for patrol officers in selected regions. In a recent announcement, Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) stated that these electrical impulse devices will also be used in patrol service as well as in evidence preservation and arrest units in the future. Previously, Tasers were reserved exclusively for special forces, but the new approach is the result of technical advances, as Strobl emphasized. The new Taser being used in the testing phase has the ability to fire up to ten times, whereas previous models only had two.

The tests will take place at the Freiburg police headquarters and in the Freiburg-Nord, Freiburg-Süd, Weil am Rhein and Titisee-Neustadt districts. An evidence preservation and arrest unit in Göppingen is also being equipped with Tasers. An exact start date for the test phase is still pending, but the aim is to start in 2026. The use of Tasers is intended to allow officers to keep attackers at a distance without risking fatal injuries. However, the use of a Taser is not without risk; it can have fatal consequences, especially for people with heart problems, pregnant women and the elderly, as the Taser temporarily paralyzes the nervous system.

Calls for widespread Taser equipment

The debate about the use of Tasers is supported by various sides. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) is committed to introducing Tasers to the federal police. In Baden-Württemberg, the police union (GdP) is calling for police officers to be equipped with these devices across the board. Thomas Mohr, the deputy state chairman of the GdP, criticizes the CDU-led Interior Ministry and its rejection of the introduction of Tasers in patrol services for cost reasons. Möhr emphasizes that the protection of police officers should not depend on the budget situation. He emphasizes that the Taser could close an important gap between the baton and the firearm and thus have a de-escalating effect.

The background to these demands are worrying incidents such as the death of a 21-year-old who was shot by emergency services in Oldenburg. The discussion about the use of Tasers has caused a stir beyond national borders, mainly due to health concerns about the use of stun guns. Critics, such as the Left parliamentary group in the Bundestag, point to documented deaths after Taser use and warn about the low success rate in practice. Clara Bünger, domestic policy spokeswoman for the Left, said that the Taser lowers the inhibition threshold for the use of violence and could therefore potentially lead to problematic developments.

Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) also expressed the complexity of using Tasers in high-stress situations, pointing out the challenges that emergency services face in critical situations. Given the multitude of arguments and fears, it remains to be seen how the discussion about the actual use of Tasers in police work will develop.