Police have begun a public relations campaign aimed at reassuring the public about pending trials of the taser stun gun.
The controversial weapon, which delivers a temporarily debilitating electric shock, will be trialled in Auckland and Wellington from next month. The Green Party and several prominent lawyers have protested atthe possible introduction of the weapon, saying it is potentially lethal and could be misused.
Police yesterday released a raft of documents relating to the forthcoming trials, including Project Lincoln, a report commissioned after the 2001 killing of Waitara man Stephen Wallace by a police officer armed with a firearm.
That report was prepared after widespread controversy over whether the officer at the centre of the case needed to use his firearm, and whether the officer could have avoided firing at Mr Wallace if he had an alternative weapon at his disposal.
It reviewed a wide range of "less lethal weapons", which included bean bag rounds, nets, tranquillisers and water cannon. Project Lincoln, which drew heavily on international research, endorsed police use of capsicum spray but rejected several of the novel weapons.
The report's backing of the taser paved the way for the upcoming trial, but also highlighted the PR difficulties to come.
"The pistol style taser is clearly the preferred model by most agencies. That is understandable given that such agencies carry a pistol as a matter of course," the report said.
"However, as the New Zealand police are not armed as a matter of course, there could be a negative public perception around such style tasers. The depth of such perception is difficult to gauge ... it is quite possible and more than likely that, given robust consultation and a sound media strategy, the introduction of a pistol style taser would be acceptable to New Zealand."
Five years on, a May briefing for Commissioner Howard Broad recommended a "proactive strategy" be initiated to reassure New Zealanders about the taser, and a briefing to the Minister of Police two weeks later said police would seek to "manage public debate and discussion" when controversy about the weapon arose.
The briefing said there was an increasing justification and need for police to trial the taser in operational mode, and that the public safety benefits of the weapon outweighed potential risks, including medical concerns.
