Wirraway
9th Nov 2004, 18:56
AAP
US approves stun guns on aircraft
November 9, 2004 - 6:34PM
Stun guns may be under consideration by Australian airlines after US authorities approved the use of the devices to bolster security on a major international airline.
Taser International said its stun guns had been approved by the US Department of Homeland Security's transport security administration for use on an unspecified airline flying in and out of the US.
The device can stun a person with a 50,000-volt electric shock at a range of up to seven metres without endangering an aircraft.
Taser said its guns would be used by specially trained personnel on flights.
It is the first approval for use of Taser devices on commercial flights.
Australia's sole importer of Tasers, George Hateley, from FBIS International Protective Services in Melbourne, said he believed all major airlines would adopt the device within the next two years.
"The US decision will flow on," Mr Hateley said.
"The biggest hassle they had was getting the legislation through."
He said it was an obvious security improvement Qantas and regional airlines should consider.
"The reason is it saves lives and it saves them a lot of money," he said.
A spokesman for Justice Minister Chris Ellison said it was not possible to comment on the possible use of Tasers on Australian aircraft.
"The air security officer program is subject to some fairly strict constraints on information due to the nature of the program - it is a covert program," the spokesman said.
"I would not be able to comment on whether or not Tasers are used aboard Australian aircraft or international aircraft flying into Australia."
A number of international airlines outside the US are understood to have installed the guns following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack and about 200 US police departments use them.
Elite police in most Australian states, such as the Special Operations Group (SOG) in Victoria and the Specialist Emergency Response Team in Queensland, have trialled them.
Northern Territory police are believed to be considering their use by general duties officers.
The stun guns have been used successfully to end potentially violent situations such as sieges and armed robberies.
But civil libertarians remain cautious about the use of stun guns, which have been the subject of law suits against heavy-handed police, security officers and prison guards in the US.
Amnesty International has called for their use to be suspended until there is a comprehensive inquiry into their use and effect.
© 2004 AAP
===========================================
US approves stun guns on aircraft
November 9, 2004 - 6:34PM
Stun guns may be under consideration by Australian airlines after US authorities approved the use of the devices to bolster security on a major international airline.
Taser International said its stun guns had been approved by the US Department of Homeland Security's transport security administration for use on an unspecified airline flying in and out of the US.
The device can stun a person with a 50,000-volt electric shock at a range of up to seven metres without endangering an aircraft.
Taser said its guns would be used by specially trained personnel on flights.
It is the first approval for use of Taser devices on commercial flights.
Australia's sole importer of Tasers, George Hateley, from FBIS International Protective Services in Melbourne, said he believed all major airlines would adopt the device within the next two years.
"The US decision will flow on," Mr Hateley said.
"The biggest hassle they had was getting the legislation through."
He said it was an obvious security improvement Qantas and regional airlines should consider.
"The reason is it saves lives and it saves them a lot of money," he said.
A spokesman for Justice Minister Chris Ellison said it was not possible to comment on the possible use of Tasers on Australian aircraft.
"The air security officer program is subject to some fairly strict constraints on information due to the nature of the program - it is a covert program," the spokesman said.
"I would not be able to comment on whether or not Tasers are used aboard Australian aircraft or international aircraft flying into Australia."
A number of international airlines outside the US are understood to have installed the guns following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack and about 200 US police departments use them.
Elite police in most Australian states, such as the Special Operations Group (SOG) in Victoria and the Specialist Emergency Response Team in Queensland, have trialled them.
Northern Territory police are believed to be considering their use by general duties officers.
The stun guns have been used successfully to end potentially violent situations such as sieges and armed robberies.
But civil libertarians remain cautious about the use of stun guns, which have been the subject of law suits against heavy-handed police, security officers and prison guards in the US.
Amnesty International has called for their use to be suspended until there is a comprehensive inquiry into their use and effect.
© 2004 AAP
===========================================