More police in Fife are being armed with Tasers as cops in the kingdom face “higher aggression than ever before”.
At least 325 officers have been attacked in the line of duty in Fife since April.
Many have been left with serious injuries and facing months off work.
The number represents a near-18% rise in attacks on officers for the same April to December period in 2023.
The number of attacks also marks a five-year high for Fife P Division.
Violent attacks ‘more likely to come from younger generation’ says top Fife cop
The situation has escalated so much that Fife officers have experienced almost as many attacks in 2024 as in the whole of Edinburgh – despite the lower population in the kingdom – according to the region’s top officer.
Now, Chief Superintendent Derek McEwan – Fife divisional commander – is vowing to prioritise improvements in officer safety.
He is using an extra proportion of Fife’s 2024 police budget to make Tasers available to more officers.
Speaking exclusively to The Courier, CS McEwan said his officers are facing “more aggression than ever before”.
He said: “Violent attacks are now more likely to come from the younger generation than we’ve traditionally experienced.
“Officers called to deal with groups of young people engaging in instances of anti-social activity and disorder are more likely to be assaulted.
“We are seeing much more aggression from this demographic than previously and that’s concerning.
“Nobody has a God-given right to attack a police officer but attacks are becoming increasingly common.
“That’s why we have more officers being trained to handle Tasers and more Taser usage.
“Violent attacks in Fife are now eclipsing many other larger and more populated police divisions such as Lothian and Borders.
“Alarmingly, we’ve only had 34 fewer attacks than E Division, which polices Edinburgh, our capital city with a thriving night-time economy.”
Number of Fife police officers trained in Taser use rising to 100
Earlier this year, CS McEwan revealed how officers had faced 70 attacks in less than two months – with one officer left with a broken wrist and another with “significant” facial injuries.
In September, a male officer was injured during a disturbance in Glenrothes.
Then in October, The Courier told how a female officer had sustained a facial injury while dealing with a rammy involving youths at the Dunfermline Asda store.
Police in Fife now have 34 Tasers available at eight locations.
Currently, 88 officers in Fife are fully trained in Taser use with that number expected to rise to 100 by April 2025.
Since January 2024, there have been 39 Taser incidents in Fife where the device was drawn, aimed or a red dot warning deployed.
Of those incidents, Tasers were discharged six times.
A Taser – the brand name of a conducted energy device – is used to temporarily incapacitate people in violent situations.
About 50,000 volts is generated when fired, which reduces to 1,500 volts when it comes into contact with the individual.
The electrical charge results in temporary loss of muscle control, often causing the person to fall to the ground.
‘Body-worn cameras will be a game-changer’
Meanwhile, body-worn cameras – which are due to be introduced in 2025 with Tayside Division the first to benefit – cannot come soon enough, says CS McEwan.
He said: “It’s common for police to be called to assist those staff that are actually better equipped with body cams.
“The roll-out of body cameras will be a game-changer.
“With the act of aggression caught on camera and available as potential evidence, it will deter many who may otherwise resort to violence.”
Conversation