The increased use of tasers in police operations in Victoria requires a greater level of police oversight and accountability, says Inner Melbourne Community Legal.
According to a major investigation by the ABC’s Four Corners program, taser use by Victoria Police has grown significantly in recent years to 1209 incidents in 2025.
This accords with data obtained under Freedom of Information by the Police Accountability Project, which also found tasers caused injuries to 161 people between 2018 and 2023 and were used on 149 people aged under 18, including six aged under 12.
Under police guidelines, tasers are only meant to be used as an alternative to firearms in dangerous situations when there is a risk of serious physical injury.
But the rapid expansion of their use in Victoria raises concerns that they are being deployed excessively and in situations when other, less extreme methods could be used.
Tasers send electric shock probes into the body of the person they are aimed at, and Four Corners found there have been at least 18 cases where people have died after being tasered in Australia over the past two decades.
But without an effective mechanism of police oversight, there is little transparency or accountability over their use in Victoria.
Inner Melbourne Community Legal is calling for the introduction of an independent Police Ombudsman in Victoria to investigate cases of police misconduct and to respond to complaints from the public about the police.
Police are being granted increased powers and weaponry but this must be accompanied by independent monitoring of their use of force, including Tasers.
Comments to be attributed to IMCL Director of Policy and Advocacy, Michelle Reynolds:
“The cases of misuse of force involving tasers uncovered by Four Corners are alarming.
“When tasers were first introduced into use by Victoria Police, concerns were raised at the time that they can cause lasting injury or even death.
“By September this year, every frontline police officer and Protective Services Officer in Victoria will be armed with a taser but there is no independent oversight of how they are being used.
“The increase in taser deployments is part of a wider issue of excessive use of force by Victoria Police.
“Police are being granted greater powers and weaponry but are avoiding full accountability and scrutiny because Victoria has no effective independent police monitoring and oversight body.
“Victoria needs an independent Police Ombudsman that can monitor police conduct and investigate complaints of misconduct.”
