Kolkata Police plans to add shock batons to its armoury

KOLKATA: The city police plans to acquire a new weapon for its armoury—shock batons, which are used to temporarily incapacitate an attacker through a mild electric shock. According to the specifications sought, a baton shock will deliver a charge of 1.5 kilo volt (peak voltage) for a maximum of 1 millisecond (a thousandth of a second).

Aware of possible safety issues, Kolkata Police in its bid document—where it has sought 20 other specific weapons and equipment — has clearly stated the shock batons will be used only by specialized forces.




Sources said this is an indication that the batons are unlikely to be used in everyday law and order duties and will be used only “under specific provocations”.

State to buy 10 shock batons for now

The tender, bidding for which closes on November 2, states that the force is looking to buy merely 10 of them for now. The tender comes with a rigorous set of specifications that the force hopes will be met.

Shock batons are increasingly being looked upon as a low-risk weapon and are being used by cops in situations where the general public or the officers themselves face a severe threat or actual violence upon which no rigorous action could be taken.

The weapon is in use in several states, including Jammu & Kashmir, where both the police and paramilitary forces are using it to control aggressive protesters. “We will be using it in very limited situations. We are aware that Kolkata’s requirements are vastly different from some regions where it is being used. For now, it will be deployed with our specialized units like our commandos and RAF teams,” said a senior Lalbazar official.

Apart from the shock batons, the city police also plans to equip its personnel with shock resistance fibres, fullbody protectors, dragon light, loud hailers and tactical zip tie handcuff. The police have only recently floated a global tender to acquire a miniature remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Widely used by top-notch security forces, ROVs help in detecting possible bombs or other terror threats planted in vehicles and places which are either difficult to access or where there are chances of loss of human lives.

The police modernization programme will not end with these new acquisitions. The entire city will be mapped using Geographic Information System (GIS), and the spots where crimes against women have been reported frequently will be identified for installation of panic buttons. On pressing the panic button, alert will be sent to the nearest police station which will rush its personnel to the spot.