Campaign Against the Taser
www.campaignagainstthetaser.com
October
Press Release:
Police claims that assaults have increased misleading
Police claims that assaults on police officers have increased are misleading, according to Campaign Against the Taser
spokesperson Marie Dyhrberg.
“While the Police have claimed that figures show a rise in assaults against Police, what the figures actually show is
that the overall total has remained remarkably constant over ten years,” Marie Dyhrberg said.
Dyhrberg cites figures from 1996/97, when total assaults on police numbered 1905. “The number peaked in 2000/01 at 2150,
and then dropped again. In 2004/05, the number of assaults was 1869. It is important to note that there has also been
population increase over this time.”
“There has been a slight increase in Crimes Act assaults. But assaults involving weapons of any kind, including firearms
and stabbing or cutting weapons, have dropped, from 97 in 1996/97 to 84 over the last year.”
“Over the last decade, there has not been a dramatic increase in assaults on police. This means that there is no
justification for the Taser trial. What harm can be done if the trial is halted until there is an independent inquiry,
and until we know more about the Taser from investigation and experience overseas?” she said.
ENDS
Attached: extract from New Zealand Police Annual Report for the year ending 30 June