Page 10 - Top Cover Issue 15

10 TOP COVER MAY 2019

Where now for CVD and
*

*Colour Vision Deficiency

The ongoing situation of officers are looking to secure a budget to the country many officers who have
across the country being declined identify a suitable standard. failed the CVD tests are asked do the
access to Taser training due to vision CVD affects approximately one in same job of dealing with violent and
requirements continues. As the Police eight males and one in 200 females, aggressive subjects based on the same
Federation of England and Wales so there are potentially hundreds of colour descriptors – but without the
(PFEW) lead for Firearms and Less officers in the UK who may not be protection of a suitable device that
Lethal, I’m uniquely placed to be able able to access Taser. All the affected gives them a safer working space. It’s
to monitor what is taking place and officers we have spoken to tell us they fair to say that usually the actions of
offer an update. can see the Taser dot against all of the the subjects themselves precede any
Currently officers who fail the normal backdrops and varied lighting deployment of a Taser, so the ability to
College of Policing (CoP) Colour conditions encountered in a typical identify a clothing colour isn’t required,
Vision Deficiency (CVD) tests 24-hour day of policing. The greatest but the ability to have a safer working
are precluded from carrying Taser concern appears to be that they may distance is. They will then be solely
operationally. The current standards are not be able to identify suspects by a reliant on their other approved PPE
signed off by the Home Secretary and clothing colour description. While and officer safety training at very close
must be strictly adhered to, otherwise accepting that it is a valid worry, I range, increasing the risk to them, the
forces and officers may be at risk of think it addresses a very small part of subject and the public alike, which
legal action. the situations officers deal with. cannot be right.
The PFEW is suggesting, for those Officers also train to use the hard-
who fail the current standards, a Safer working space sighting system on the Taser, so is the
practical test that would demonstrate The health and safety implications laser dot relevant? I think it is. There
that officers can see the Taser dot must also be considered where is what I term the ‘Hollywood effect’.
against a variety of backgrounds and officers who were previously approved Many action films over the years have
lighting conditions. The good news is for operational Taser use have had helped to ‘inform’ the public about
that there is some agreement within their authority removed but are still aspects of policing, but also what a
the CoP for this alternative and they expected to do the same job. Across Taser or Conductive Electric Device

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