U.K. Police Use RFID to Secure Tasers

Each Taser has a Tagsys RFID tag, measuring 7.9 millimeters (0.3 inch) in diameter and 1 millimeter (0.04 inch) thick, attached to its top by an adhesive. When the Taser has been removed, the cabinet interrogator no longer reads the ID number of the weapon's tag, and the software then determines that the officer has removed it. Upon returning the Taser, the officer again presents his or her ID card and password, signs onto the screen—thereby confirming that he or she is the officer returning the Taser, and not another individual—and then answers another series of questions, such as whether the weapon was used (and, if so, the number of cartridges fired) and whether it operated properly. An empty drawer in the cabinet then opens. The officer then places the Taser and any unused cartridges into the drawer, which closes automatically. The cabinet's RFID interrogator then reads the Taser's tag, verifying that the weapon has been returned.

The officer's responses are stored in the software, thereby enabling the department to track each weapon's condition. In addition, if the officer reports that the Taser failed to operate properly, an alert is sent to the individual responsible for maintaining the devices. In the meantime, the drawer for that Taser remains locked to anyone except the individual authorized to maintain it.

A taser in a drawer, with cartridges.

The system, Ponte says, includes a safety feature as well, in order to ensure that a tag is not removed from a Taser and returned to the drawer, thus indicating to the system that the Taser was returned when it really wasn't. Although he declines to describe how that feature is accomplished, he says it uses hidden disruptor tags.

The cabinet allows Notts Pol to know which individual has which Taser, in real time, and also enables the department to remotely maintain an audit trail of Taser usage. Via the system, the department can track the behavior of officers (for example, those who may be utilizing the Tasers more than others, and who might require additional training) and also track each weapon's usage.

"It has provided an opportunity to securely store weapons in remote locations whilst maintaining a creditable secure facility that can be monitored from remote locations," Rippon says. "The cabinets have provided a secure, keyless facility that has removed the need for paper records and manual issue."

Since the system went live in April, Rippon notes, Tasers have been issued for patrol use more than 9,000 times. "All officers have adapted well to the new process," he states, "with minimal instruction and supervision."