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Potsdam (dpa / bb) - The Brandenburg police have started testing so-called tasers.
The pilot project with the stun guns started at the beginning of March in the Elbe-Elster police station in Finsterwalde, said the spokesman for the Brandenburg police headquarters, Torsten Herbst.
The aim is to include all officers of the security and exchange service there in the use of ranged weapons.
The 3rd team in Cottbus will also be equipped with it in the second quarter.
A total of 27 tasers have been purchased so far, said the police spokesman.
After a year of testing, a decision should be made as to whether tasers are suitable as a new operational tool for the Brandenburg police.
Patrol officers in particular should test the ranged weapons.
These have advantages over other means of coercion, among other things because of the immediate "man-stopping effect", explained Herbst.
For example, irritant gas cannot always be used in an apartment and only has a limited effect on people who are under the influence of drugs.
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For example, Tasers could be used against physically superior people such as martial artists or opponents equipped with striking weapons, said Herbst.
"Experience in other countries also shows that the mission can be considered in connection with the rescue of people at risk of suicide."
In addition, it has been shown that the threat of using tasers is sufficient in 60 to 70 percent of cases.
The police spokesman emphasized that the stun guns are not a substitute for the officers' firearms.
The planned testing of body cameras, which are supposed to record what is happening during a deployment by police officers, has not yet started, said Herbst.
According to the current state of planning, these cameras will soon be tested in the police inspections of Potsdam, Oberhavel, Cottbus / Spree-Neisse, as well as during the first mission in the capital.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210312-99-788960 / 2