Police officers could be left ‘defenceless’ because monopoly supplier of Tasers is aggressively driving up prices, police chiefs fear
Police could be left defenseless because the monopoly supplier of Tasers is pushing up prices so aggressively, police leaders warn.
US-based tech giant Axon, which has the only Home office license to supply Tasers, Britain has ‘over a barrel’ with its stranglehold on the market, a police and crime said Commissioner.
And the latest model has proven so unreliable during training that Thames Valley Police had to scrap it and negotiate a new deal for older devices, the Mail can reveal.
With a crisis looming, chiefs are discussing cheaper alternatives, such as a “bolawrap,” a device that releases a Kevlar cable that wraps around a suspect’s limbs from a distance of up to 25 feet.
A former minister said the Home Office has “completely failed” in its obligation to protect taxpayers from corporate harassment.
Thames Valley PCC Matthew Barber (pictured) said this meant the force had no choice but to move to the newer models
Police forces could be left defenseless because the monopolistic supplier of Tasers is pushing up prices so aggressively, police leaders warn
The concerns follow calls for all frontline officers to be armed with Tasers after two first responders equipped with only CS spray were seriously injured in a sword attack in Hainaut in April.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan recently struck a deal with Axon that will increase the number of Scotland Yard officers carrying Tasers from 7,500 to 10,000 by 2030.
Axon routinely releases new models that use different cartridges, which it initially offers at discounted rates, while dramatically increasing prices on older equipment, which is eventually withdrawn from the market.
Thames Valley PCC Matthew Barber said this meant the armed forces had no choice but to switch to the newer models, even if their existing ones worked fine and had to pay high prices for the compatible cartridges.
The cost of continuing to equip officers with the same X2 model that Thames Valley had used for years rose by £1,200 per Taser in just one year, while the newer T7 was £900 cheaper per subscription.
The force began training officers with the T7 Tasers, but they were so unreliable that upgrade plans had to be abandoned.
“The point where they’re stringing us along is that there’s nothing wrong with the old Tasers, but they only have a five-year warranty,” Barber said.
“If you bought something like a toaster, the warranty doesn’t really matter – you use it until it dies – but that doesn’t apply to a Taser because it’s potentially very dangerous if it doesn’t work properly.”
Mr Barber said if the company’s pricing model were to continue without rivals to keep costs competitive, Tasers would soon become unaffordable for smaller police forces.
“The Ministry of Interior must build the marketplace for Taser,” he added.
“They need to make it clear that they want to license other suppliers, otherwise Axon can continue to do what it wants.”
Ex-Home Secretary David Mellor said: ‘It looks like we are being ripped off by our friends and allies.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan recently struck a deal with Axon that will increase the number of Scotland Yard officers carrying Tasers from 7,500 to 10,000 by 2030
The concerns come following calls to arm all frontline officers with Tasers after two first responders equipped with only CS spray were seriously injured in a sword attack in Hainaut in April (pictured)
Footage from a doorbell camera shows police officers tasering a sword-wielding man in Hainaut, North East London
The failure to protect taxpayers from the hardships of a monopolistic supplier is yet another reason why we should be deeply skeptical of the way the Home Office is being run.”
Axon said: ‘Our pricing strategy balances affordability with the need for continued innovation and we work closely with agencies to ensure we meet their budgetary needs.’
The Home Office said it had sent out a market appeal to suppliers over the past 12 months, but Axon was the only company to respond.
