Swiss police use guns less often but with deadlier force
Half of the cases of firearm use occurred in response to dangers posed by animals or vehicles.
Keystone / Carlo Reguzzi
Police forces in Switzerland used their firearms a total of 12 times in 2020 – three times less than in the previous year – but caused comparatively more fatalities.
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Polícia suíça usa armas com menos frequência, mas com mais força mortal
Three people died following police use of force. That’s up from one fatality in 2019, the Conference of Cantonal Police Commanders said on Monday.
Police forces continued to resort more frequently to the use of electroshock weapons, or tasers: they deployed them 96 times in 2020, more than in 2019 (73) and in 2018 (45). They also threatened to use tasers – but without doing so – in 87 other cases.
Half of the cases of firearm use occurred in response to dangers posed by animals and vehicles.
The Swiss police network is composed of 26 cantonal forces, around 300 communal police forces and the Federal Office of Police.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.