The Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, has said the police will soon acquire stun guns as the new weapon profile for the Special Anti-Robbery Squad as part of measures to reduce incidents of fatalities during operations.
He stated that the SARS in all police formations would be rebranded, adding that their dress code, mode of operation, orientation and quality of service would abide by the rule of law and align with the expectations of the citizens.
Speaking during the launch of the rebranded SARS and the newly established NPF Complaint Response Unit on Friday in Abuja, the IG said the first set of SARS operatives to benefit from the rebranding initiative had been trained to the best international policing standards and a dress code set for them.
According to him, an operational protocol had also been developed to regulate their operations and define standards for their response to incidents.
“In addition, in days to come, the weapon profile of SARS will be reviewed towards the engagement of less lethal technologies/weapon system such as electro-muscular disruption technology (taser or stun guns) for components of their operations to reduce incidents of fatalities associated with application of lethal weapons,” Arase explained.
He noted that the objective of the launch of the CRU was to entrench police accountability values into the policing system and to galvanise the citizens towards actively participating in the policing framework of the country.
