NIO, 29 January 2004
The fourth report by the Northern Ireland Office led Steering Group on the Patten research programme aimed at finding an acceptable, effective and less potentially lethal alternative to the baton round has been published today.
The report, entitled 'A research programme into alternative policing approaches towards the management of conflict' describes in detail two approaches that have real potential as alternatives to the baton round.
Commenting on the report, Security Minister Jane Kennedy said: "No baton rounds have been fired in Northern Ireland by the police or the army since September 2002 and I would be delighted if the public order situation further improved, removing the need to resort to baton rounds.
"The community as a whole has a contribution to make to achieve that aim, but we are not there yet.
"Last April I said that on the basis that an acceptable, effective and less lethal alternative was available, the baton round would no longer be used after the end of 2003.
"I also said that if that was not achieved, we would report on the progress of the research programme and review the options, consulting widely.
"Today's report is a fulfillment of that undertaking and fully sets out the Government's position in relation to the research programme to find an acceptable, effective and less potentially lethal alternative to the baton round, describing in detail two approaches that have real potential as alternatives.
"Very good progress has been made in developing these two alternative projectiles, in line with Patten's criteria and these are currently at the prototype stage."
The first, the Attenuating Energy Projectile, is a result of research following up the previously published evaluation of the current round by the independent medical advisers.
This approach is designed to reduce the peak force, thereby achieving a similar effect to the existing baton round, but, more safely. This development work is continuing. Subject to testing, it is hoped that this alternative will be available by the end of 2004, ready for operational deployment before summer 2005.
Other work in progress includes exploration of a different technology that has potential to meet the Patten requirements in the longer term. This approach, the Discriminating Irritant Projectile, would incapacitate a violent individual through delivery of irritant to their upper body, at a distance.
The proposal would incorporate elements of technology similar to those already in use with some police forces in Western Europe and the US to create a safer and acceptable, but still effective alternative to the baton round. As a new system for the United Kingdom, it is inevitable that it would take around a year longer to develop.
This report also looks at other public order equipment, including water cannon and describes the introduction of new water cannon for the PSNI.
The report includes an assessment of the management of potential conflict by the PSNI last summer.
This section, with extracts from the review by an independent academic, brings out that there are more issues involved in maintaining public order than the technology used by the police service.
The report contains updates on other aspects of the work of the Steering Group set up to take forward the Patten recommendations in this area. It also brings together both published and previously unpublished material relating to less lethal options when the police are require to use appropriate force.
The ACPO policy guidelines on the current trial of Taser in five police forces in England and Wales are included.
Jane Kennedy added: "As I made clear in my statement last April, I will welcome the views of a wide range of interested parties including the Chief Constable and the Policing Board. The Government remains committed to taking forward these important elements in the Patten recommendations."
Note for Editors
1. This is the fourth report of the Steering Group set up to take forward recommendations 69 and 70 of the report of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland (the Patten report) which was published in September 1999:
Recommendation 69 stated that "An immediate and substantial investment should be made in a research programme to find an acceptable, effective and less potentially lethal alternative to the Plastic Baton Round (PBR)."
Recommendation 70 stated that "The police should be equipped with a broader range of public order equipment than the RUC currently possess, so that a commander has a number of options at his/her disposal which might reduce reliance on, or defer resort to, the PBR."
2. The phase 1 report was published in April 2001, followed by the phase 2 report published in November 2001 and phase 3 in December 2002.
3. On 9 April 2003 the NIO Minister of State, Jane Kennedy, issued the following statement:
"The Government is very aware of the sensitivities surrounding the use of baton rounds. Our objective is that not a single baton round would need to be fired in public disorder by the police, or the army acting in support. In the great majority of police districts, where there has been no sustained major public disorder, no rounds have been fired for five years or more. Building on that is our objective. With good policing and the support of the community it can be achieved.
"With the availability of water cannon this summer, the progressive equipping of police officers with personal incapacitant sprays and the implementation of the community policing programme, the need for baton rounds will be further reduced. The aim would be that the need for baton rounds should be reduced to the point of deployment current in Britain.
"The Chief Constable, and the Policing Board have a duty of care for police officers. Moreover, as Patten recognised, they cannot be left in a situation where ultimately they would have no alternative but to fire live rounds.
"On the basis that an acceptable and effective and less lethal alternative is available, the baton round would no longer be used after the end of 2003. In the event that that has not been achieved, the Government would report on the progress of the fourth phase of the research programme and review the options for less lethal alternatives, consulting widely with a range of interested parties including the Chief Constable and the Policing Board.
In close consultation with the Board, the Government will progress the urgent developmental work that has been commissioned by the research programme set up to take forward Patten recommendations 69 and 70. That work is intended to find an acceptable and effective less lethal alternative to the current round."
4. This report sets out the position of the Government in relation to alternatives to the current baton round. It concludes, unfortunately, that there is still no commercially available product that meets the Patten criteria. However, research is being taken forward into the development of the Attenuating Energy and Discriminating Irritant Projectiles (AEP and DIP) which represent the best opportunity to get an alternative to the L21A1 into service as soon as practical. The progress made so far in the development of the AEP and the DIP is set out fully in the report. It is important to note that, while challenges remain, the projected timetable contained in the report would make the AEP available by the end of 2004, ready for operational use before summer 2005.
5. The Government has committed to consulting widely on this phase 4 report. As well as being distributed to a wide range of interested parties, a conference will be held in London on 5 February, as part of the process. It will have as its theme Article 2 of the UN Basic Principles on the use of Force and Firearms which states that:
'Governments and law enforcement agencies should develop a range of means as broad as possible and equip law enforcement officials with various types of weapons and ammunition that would allow for a differentiated use of force and firearms.'