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The Death Of Antonio Galeano

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In 2009 the death of Antonio Galeano, a Queensland man with a mental health condition sparked a joint review by the Crime Misconduct Commission and the Queensland Police of Taser Policy and training. The review was concerned with many aspects of Taser use especially with the over use of Tasers by the Queensland Police against those with an underlying mental health condition and those under the influence of drug and/or alcohol. Although the report has successfully implemented 24 recommendations a further assessment was conducted by the Crime Misconduct and Commission in 2011. It released an independent review of the Queensland Police Services policies and practices, where it found that a number of key concerns remained. These key concerns were related to the over use of Tasers and especially the use of Tasers upon those who are believed to have a mental health condition and/ or are believed to under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The following will provide a discussing of the introduction and development of the Queensland Police Service Taser police, where it will reflect upon these concerns regarding these ‘at risk’ groups.
Tasers were first introduced by The Queensland Police Service (QPS) in 2002, when they were allocated to the services Special Emergency Response Team. Following a trial in 2007 to 2008, the QPS expanded their use into the general policing environment (CMC 2011: 3).Since the trial, the police minister announced that Tasers will be made operational

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